Two Houses, Both Alike in Dignity
by Sadie Lovegood
Summary: Formerly "Mud Is Thicker Than Water." 24 years after the War, the magic world is in chaos again: Gryffindor vs. Slytherin. What happens when a pureblood son of Slytherin and a Muggleborn daughter of Gryffindor see love in each other in spite of all?
1. Two Houses Alike in Dignity

**"Mud is ****Thicker**** than Water"**

_**A/N:**__ My next __fic__! Okay, this idea came to me, literally, in a bus driving into town for groceries few weeks ago. In know the overall concept is done, but __Ima__gonna__ try and flip it to make it original in the Sadie tradition. Enjoy!_

_**Summary:**__ Dudley, post HP, has twins, a boy and a girl. His daughter, Castora, is a witch and goes off to Hogwarts. By definition, the __wizarding__ world is 'a better place' post-war…but not for everyone. Prejudices against __Muggle-borns__ are on the rise again, and now at Hogwarts, the Houses of Slytherin and Gryffindo__r are at full-out war within it__s student body. What happens when, out of nowhere, Castora __Dursley__and Scorpius Malfoy see each other for the first time, and see not bloodlines and money…but just each other?_

**_I was tempted not to post this because it is going to be so clichéd, I know, but it's a plot bunny nonetheless, so sue me!! I'm going to put my own unique spin on the genre…hope you like! I'm going to let the reviewers decide if this first chapter decide whether to keep this or nix it, kay_**

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_Veterans of the Modern War era could tell you that they fought the Death Eaters and Lord Voldemort in order to make the world a better place for their children. A world free of prejudice, spite, and evil. Many died in doing so, and their portraits hang in Hogwarts' School for Witchcraft and Wizardry in an old lobby now known as "The Hall of the Honored." Many of the teachers come to these portraits for advice and support in these new times. It is a sacred shrine to those who died for justice and rights for all magic folk. _

_But the world in which these veterans' children have to grow up is not a world of happiness and love as their parents had hoped. Prejudice against one another has risen again in force. Without even a Dark Lord to channel these new rages into a single society or thought, the resulting world is much worse than the previous: a world of chaos, untamable violence, and unstable relationships. Even at a school, this new mutiny reigns, and sometimes it reigns higher than in the streets. The Ministry cannot control the mass chaos in the wizarding world, although it tries. But it has just become too much for anyone to handle._

_Two Houses of Hogwarts, Slytherin and Gryffindor, are now sworn rivals. Professors constantly try to keep the peace, but always to no avail. The Houses Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw stand on the neutral sideline as the pureblooded, conniving Slytherins and the brave, mixed-blood Gryffindors fan their rages into a pure hate year after year. It is a hate that no one can seem to dissolve. A hate that has yet to claim any lives…but it is only a matter of time. _

_No one is safe at Hogwarts._

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* * *

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Very early in the overcast morning, two blonde men walked on Platform 9-3/4 in front of the resting Hogwarts Express. The morning was dank, fog-laced, and gloomy. The platform was silent other than the footsteps from the blonde men, and the rhythmic tapping of the older man's cane. They were a father and son pair, and it was quite obvious that they were father and son. The father wore a long black cloak that went high up on his neck. The other, a fifteen year old boy, wore his hair long and in a snooty ponytail. The two men looked very similar in face, except the boy had a different shade of eye, quite possibly his mother's eye. The father looked refined. The son looked annoyed to be there. He walked with his hands in his pockets at an erractic pace, going for quick steps before stopping for three seconds, than taking a few slow steps, then quickening the pace again.

"Father, the train doesn't leave for several hours!" protested the son, looking half-reluctant, half-tired.

"Scorpius, we do this almost every year. With all this business between the mudblood Gryffindors and the Slytherins, you could easily be hurt in a crowd!"

"Not a crowd full of kids like me!" Scorpius protested. He looked behind him as the small House-Elf trudging behind with all of his luggage on a trolley. He felt sorry for the elf. He turned back to his father and groaned.

"You clearly forgot what happened last year AND the year before…"

"Dad, no one's DIED! Sure it's intense, but I'm not a moron! I can protect myself!"

"I WON'T have to associating with mudbloods and Gryffindors! You're my only son after your mother passed. The only heir to both Black and Slytherin Houses! In the name of your ancestors, you cannot afford to die. That would be wiping out two families that went back generations with one stroke!"

"But shoving me in a plastic bubble doesn't help ME!" Scorpius protested. The father's cane plunked rhythmically on the platform. It was a slow, steady pace Scorpius was used to hearing.

"I want to wait and board with my friends!"

"Come off it! You'll see them for a whole school year once you get to Hogwarts! I TOLD your mum that you were better off at Durmstrang! THEY don't HAVE houses! Oh, Astoria, if you were here now…"

"She's dead now, Dad! So why don't you just transfer me out?!"

"Because then it will look like we're running away! Malfoys DON'T run!" insisted Scorpius' father.

Scorpius decided to drown out his father. He muttered to himself. "I wonder if A-Sev is coming early?"

Scorpius' father moaned at hearing this. Scorpius rolled his eyes and turned to his father. "Dad! A-Sev isn't bad! He's a Slytherin! He's NOT a mudblood either!"

"He's a_ POTTER_!" said the father.

"Nothing wrong with that! He's a very cool guy, he IS a Slytherin…even some of the Gryffindors like him—"

"—because his brother and sister are Gryffindors, you stupid fool!" barked Mr. Malfoy. Scorpius backed down. When his father got mad, he got MAD. It was better not to take the argument further. The two blonde men followed by the House Elf with the trolley wandered further down the platform, still not a single other person in sight.

* * *

"Margot, please don't dilly-dally!"

"DA-AD! How many times MUST I explain it to you? I'm on Platform 9-3/4 now! My **NAME** is Castora!!"

A fifth-year girl, still dressed in Muggle clothing, brushed her mid-length kinky red hair out of her face, rolling her eyes. She stood next to her father, a round man with blonde hair and a chubby face. The girl, who was curvy, but not nearly as fat as her father, looked like she could be a House-Elf beside her father. Meanwhile, her twin brother, a Muggle, pushed the trolley with all of her luggage behind the both of them.

"Your name is Margot Olivia Dursley. It is the name your mum and I gave you. It is the name on your birth certificate. It is the name I will call you, Platform 9-3/4 or NO Platform 9-3/4!" yelled the man, his voice shrill and loud. A few people turned to stare, and Castora blushed.

"Do what you want! Castora is a mystically magical name. I am a Castora at heart, so there," the redheaded girl stated plainly. The father rolled his eyes and didn't bother to stay angry too long. Meanwhile, Castora's twin brother, who looked more like a skinnier version of his father than of his twin, rolled his eyes as well.

"You really take this witch thing seriously, don't you, Oddball?" he asked, playfully punching his sister in the arm.

"Because it IS serious, Jack! Cousin Harry's a wizard, and all our second cousins are too! YOU'RE the 'Oddball' of the family!" Castora bragged, returning the punch, only harder. Jack Dursley winced.

"Bite me!"

"No thanks!"

"That's enough, both of you!" barked the fat father. He actually chuckled to himself a moment later. Oh…his own parents would be rolling in their graves if they knew one of their grandchildren was magical!

The Platform that morning was crowded with young students getting ready to go off to another year at Hogwarts. Castora loved the rush and excitement of the day. Sometimes it grew too much for her father, Dudley Dursley.

Castora suddenly waved enthusiastically at a small crowd of people that was off to a side of the crowd. Four adults and five kids of various ages and heights were set somewhat apart from the crowd. One of the two grown men, with dark, shaggy hair, turned as his own redheaded daughter grinned. The brown-haired daughter of the other man grinned as well. She was Castora's best friend, and she always shared a dorm room with her: Rose Weasley. The shaggy dark-haired man gave a civil nod to Dudley Dursley, who smiled subtly and gave one back. Castora ran to join the group, her two male escorts trying to keep up.

She hugged Rose Weasley and gasped. "You look great!"

"You grew your hair out, Cas!" Rose squealed back. Albus Severus, the boy in the group in their same year, rolled his eyes.

"You girls are such airheads!" he said, although the smile on his face told Castora he was glad to see her too. He detached himself from the small group to join some boys from Ravenclaw who were hooting for him. Castora looked after Albus Severus (or 'A-Sev' to his male friends) and sighed. With all the high tensions and fighting between her house and his, A-Sev was the ONE guy who was a go-between. He was too cool for both houses. Both Gryffindors and Slytherins respected him. It made his older brother James, a seventh-year Gryffindor, sick to his stomach sometimes.

James Potter was a prankster, a light-hearted fool. He, being the small groups' resident seventh year, he acted (and always had acted) as a big brother to Rose and her brother Hugo, Castora, and their little sister Lily Potter, all Gryffindors. He was like a father-figure, except in the case of his brother. Some say it was jealousy, some say sibling rivalry, some say it was House loyalty. But whatever the reason, James Potter wasn't fond of his little brother as much as two men of the same family should. Their parents, Harry and Ginny Potter, kept trying to renew the frayed bonds between their sons, but nothing worked. It was like having Eteocles and Polynices in the family.

Hugo Weasley looked at his older sister and sighed. "Can we GO now?"

His father, Ron, nodded. "Yes, my boy, we can go. But all of you, no getting into this fallout between your houses—"

"—and be nice to Albus, just because he's on the other side…" advised Ginny.

"Ginny!" warned Harry. "Don't refer to it as 'The Other Side!' You know how that—"

"—LET'S just get the children on the train…" interrupted Ron's wife, Hermione. Ginny looked at Hermione and nodded. Castora quickly ran over to her father and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

"See you at Christmas!" she said. Mr. Dursley smiled and kissed his daughter back, and then turned with Jack to leave. Castora smiled and turned again to join James, Hugo, Lily, and Rose to board the train. Albus was off in the crowd elsewhere with his Slytherin friends.

James leaned down in Castora's ear and muttered, "Well, another year of kicking Slytherin ass…"

Castora ignored him. Something about the Slytherins didn't seem so wrong to her…something she just didn't quite understand…


	2. The Heat is On at Hogwarts

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry looked like a majestic mountain as it appeared over the hills as the Hogwarts Express approached the station. The sight always awed its students. Hogwarts was a house of promise, a house of learning, and a house of wonder, terror, history, and future prospects. Very few of the students, though, didn't know much of the school's vast history. Why should they even bother to find out? Those dead people in the Hall of the Honored meant nothing to most of them (although Castora had taken a liking to one of the portraits, a vivacious young lady with spiky pink hair, and she was well aware that her great-aunt hung in that hall). Not to mention, this new generation was too busy making a history of its own…

Last year (fourth year for Castora, Albus, Rose, and Scorpius), was the worst year of the Blood War yet. While no student had yet to die, the Headmistress McGonagall found herself to be utterly powerless against the raves of the Gryffindor students and the Slytherin students. Eight sixth years (four from each house…James Potter was among them) had gotten into a row that turned into a full-out war. Reports of the terrible Cruciatus Curse had emerged from the fray, but no confirmations were able to be made. Sixth years were shooting off spells both malignant and benign at their opponents, and nineteen were injured.

Even when there wasn't a fight going on, the tensions between the Houses were high constantly. Slytherin boys spat at Gryffindor boys, Gryffindor girls made catty remarks at Slytherin girls as they walked by each other, and vice versa.

But maybe this year would be better, although once the students were inside the great monument of wizarding history to start their school year, it didn't look at all like this would be the year for peace…

James Potter and two of his 7th year buddies: Aaron O'Grady and Miles Duff, were lazily walking down the crowded corridor after the welcoming feast. They were, of course, in good spirits (and who WOULDN'T be, after a meal like that?). Joking around and laughing, the three boys were tall, handsome, flirty, and fun tonight.

"So…I said to him, 'you just going to crap out on me? You're just like a Slytherin!'" Aaron was joking. James and Miles laughed out loud at this. James stopped briefly to wink at a Hufflepuff girl who was staring at him, half out of admiration, half out of fear.

"Wait…I got one! What do you call a Slytherin without a nose job?" asked Miles.

"What?" asked James.

"You can't call 'em anything, because they don't exist!" Miles said, making James and Aaron laugh out loud again. James jokingly slapped Miles on the crown of his head.

"I've HEARD that one! Okay, there's a Ravenclaw, a Hufflepuff, and a Slytherin playing Quidditch, and the Ravenclaw scores. So the Slytherin says, 'No fair, you cheated!' They play a little longer, and the Hufflepuff scores. The Slytherin says, 'No fair, you cheated!' so they keep playing, and the Slytherin scores a goal. Both the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff scream: 'No fair, you're cheating!' To which the Slytherin ass replies: "no, I'm a Slytherin!" The three boys burst lout in even more laughter at the nonsensical joke.

"You know, we're quite immature for blokes our age!" Miles said jokingly. "Half the school is utterly tired of us, and the other half is afraid of us!"

"And which half to you think is afraid of us?" Aaron asked.

"Slytherin Snakes crawling into their holes in the ground whenever we walk by!" James said. Miles high-fived Aaron in a jovial moment. The boys were drunk on ridiculousness.

"James, what are you talking about?" said a voice from behind the trio. They turned around to see Albus with Scorpius and another Slytherin names Brady O'Toole. Miles and Aaron pushed James in towards the three young boys.

They two groups of boys stared down each other for a full minute in total silence. A few bystanders backed away, fearing another outburst of hexes and jinxes.

"I should hardly think you were talking about Slytherin," Albus continued. "For as much as snakes may live in a hole in the ground, let's not forget lions live in caves and under rocks, too afraid to come out after dark!"

James gritted his teeth with spite and bitter hate for his little brother. He felt a small shove in his back.

"Chew him out, we'll back you," Aaron whispered.

"Ease up, he's my BROTHER! I can take the twerp!" James whispered back. He looked at his younger brother.

"We were TALKING about none-of-your-beeswax," James replied.

"Wow, something you'd know nothing about, seeing as you and your Gryffindor buddies seem to be poking fun at us Slytherins out in open air! A little risky, wouldn't you say? Especially considering last year!" said Albus.

"Risky? Psh! You're Slytherins and FIFTH YEARS! And more Slytherins went down last year than Gryffindors, so what can you POSSIBLY do to us?!" called out Miles.

Albus suddenly grabbed his wand out of his pocket and whipped it in James' direction. Startled and caught off-guard, James stumbled backwards, falling into Aaron, making him fall over in turn. The three Slytherin boys laughed. A few passersby began to stop and watch with interest, most of them wearing red and gold or green and silver ties.

"HAHAHAHA!" laughed Albus. "Gryffindor chump! BOO!" Brady laughed louder, but Scorpius' face wasn't so amused.

James, still on the floor, kicked his foot at Albus' ankles, making him trip and fall on his side. Aaron and Miles chuckled slimily. James sneered like an annoyed cat. "That's a challenge?" he asked, a hiss in his voice. Both boys quickly got to their feet and whipped out their wands, ready to duel.

"No," said James. "That was a THREAT!" Scorpius gulped as the brothers' companions drew their wands and faced each other. James spouted the first jinx. The orange spark missed Albus by a millimeter, no more, and hit Brady instead, hurling him backwards into a Gryffindor who was watching from the sidelines. The stray Gryffindor shoved Brady aside and cast a jinx at Albus again, who again artfully dodged it, and it instead hit Miles. Albus then cast a hex at Miles, hitting him square in the face.

That was when it erupted into full-out chaos. The Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws walking by screamed scrambled for shelter. The other witnessing Slytherins and Gryffindors drew wands and began battling. A few unconscious kids hit the floor. A few more kids rose into the air by their ankles, victims of _Inpedimenta_. Scorpius, personally, didn't want to be there, but Aaron was dueling with him. He caught sight of Albus' little Gryffindor sister and a few of her friends cryingfrom the safety of a corner. James turned to Miles just as he finished off a third-year Slytherin with a round of _Stupefy._

"Take Lily, Rose, Hugo, and Castora up to the common room and tell them to wait for me there!" James commanded like an Army general. Miles nodded and quickly made his way over to the girls and gave them a sheltered escape.

Jinxes and even a few curses flew in every direction. Scorpius, wanting to get out of there quickly, managed to stun Aaron long enough for him to dash off and duck behind the statue of the one-eyed witch.

Suddenly, after a few more moments of battle, an extremely loud siren blew. The Headmistress McGonagall, along with quite a few of the other professors, wands raised, broke the crowd apart. Soon enough, Gryffindors and Slytherins stood on opposite sides of the hallways. McGonagall paced in between them.

"A fray on the FIRST night of the term! Preposterous! I will NOT stand for it!" she said. She looked briefly at a young professor standing with the Gryffindors, fir he was their head of house. Professor Longbottom shrugged, and McGonagall turned around again to face everyone.

"Who started it?" she asked. "TELL ME!"

James raised his hand. Albus held his breath, but someone behind James lowered his hand, and he didn't say another word.

She knew she needed to lay down the line and quickly. "If I find out…and I WILL find out…that absolutely ANYONE is fighting or hurts another student in, on, or around the grounds, they will be immediately expelled, and their wand will be broken, and I'm sure once Shacklebolt gets through with you, you'll be banished from the wizarding world!" Minerva paused a brief moment. " Will the Head Boy and Girl of each house follow me as everyone SILENTLY returns to their house common rooms?" she instructed, leaving the scene quickly. The Heads left too, and the rest of the professors guided their houses to their common rooms.

Scorpius, who was still hidden from the fight, stayed and lingered as the unconscious and injured students (half a dozen or so, from the looks of it) were carried to the hospital. Albus stayed behind too, waiting for Scorpius to emerge.

"We really dodged a bullet there, didn't we, bro?" Albus said, lightly hitting Scorpius' shoulder. Scorpius rolled his eyes.

"Do we have to fight like this all the time? It's so…wrong!"

"Scorpius, who ARE you?" asked Albus. "You, if not anyone else, should have the pride of Slytherin House in your heart! Do you know WHO you are?"

"If I didn't, I wouldn't be my father's son," Scorpius remarked. "He practically drills it into my skull every day."

"You are—"

"—I am the last remaining heir of the pureblooded House of Malfoy AND the House of Black. If I die before producing an heir with a pureblooded girl, the legacy will die with me," Scorpius recited. "It is so stupid! Where can I find a damn pureblood girl, if it even mattered?"

"It MATTERS because carrying on your name is carrying on the name of our House!" Albus said. "It does matter, I suppose…"

"Hypocrite," moped Scorpius. "You're only mixed blood yourself! You belong to no house! My great-aunt Bella, were she alive, would probably have your liver for supper if she found you with me!"

"True," said Albus. "But I still have The Pride in me," Albus said. "You bolted out of there in four seconds, Scorpius. Very-well representative of Slytherin!"

"Our parents fought…well…MOST of our parents fought so that we could live in a peaceful world…a BETTER world! Those who died for us are rolling in their graves knowing that the world is under the reign of the Blood Wars," Scorpius said, turning his back on Albus to leave.

"But…Scorps!" Albus said, catching up to him. "You…you're my best friend…"

Scorpius stopped to look at Albus. He smiled and took his friend in an embrace. "Don't you forget it, A-Sev!"

"You know…" Albus began. "Dominique Weasley's in Ravenclaw, and she's pureblooded…AND hot!"

"No, she's NOT!" Scorpius corrected, his tone changing. "She's 1/8th vela, and therefore, not technically a pureblooded witch! Look, A-Sev, I really couldn't give a damn about girls right now. So much is coming up—"

"—like the Halloween Ball!" said Albus. "I could set you up there!" Scorpius just wanted to punch Albus in the gut for saying that.

"Okay, that just TOTALLY went over your head, A-Sev," Scorpius moaned, rubbing two fingers up against his left temple. Albus rolled his eyes.

"What can I say? I'm only five-foot-six!" he said. Scorpius couldn't help but laugh at this.

The two men laughed and walked back toward their room together.


	3. I'm Not Going'

The few weeks following that particular night, as Halloween and the Halloween Ball slowly approached, seemed to take forever to pass. Not just because of the approaching holiday, but because of the fight that had broken out on the first night. The professors had resorted to holding individual classes instead of combining two houses for a class. Of course, Slytherin and Gryffindor together was taboo, but also, the two 'neutral' houses refused to be in a class with either of the two warring houses. Of course, this made classes last longer into the night as every house got its turn with a class. This, in turn, wore everyone out.

Scorpius and Albus were planning their Halloween Ball costumes two weeks before Ball, while sitting in the Slytherin common room, although Scorpius was a little hesitant on going…

"Aw, come on, Scorps!" pleaded Albus the second Thursday before the Ball. The two boys were joking around and putting together costumes in the Slytherin common room after Potions had let out. "It's a great place to meet witches! You know, some of the OLDER ladies from Hogsmeade sometimes sneak in for a free Butterbeer, at least until Peeves unmasks them and kicks them out!" Albus winked, fashioning a big white beard for his costume. He was going as one of his namesakes, Albus Dumbledore, as he did every year.

"I'm not really feeling it, A-Sev," Scorpius moaned, sitting up on the couch. "I may just stay behind and work on some Charms essays I'm behind on."

"What do you mean 'feeling it'?" asked Albus, fingering his stringy fake beard.

"I'm not really in the mood this year, I mean, after getting caught up in that terrible brawl on the first night—"

"—that was almost TWO months ago!" Albus whined. "You still bent up on that?"

"YES!" Scorpius snapped. "We nearly got both our asses shot off, and I'm not about to go to a place where it could very well happen again! As a matter of fact, I'm surprised ANYONE who wants to live to see eighteen years old is going!"

"Nawh, it won't. I heard rumors that McGonagall will have a few Aurors on standby," said Albus.

"Oh, Merlin's beard, the day has come when AURORS have to stand ON GUARD DUTY at a school dance! What next? Will Kingsley Shacklebolt have to personally oversee the Quidditch games?" Scorpius groaned.

"Shacklebolt's got too much on his plate trying to keep the ADULT wizards from fighting!" Albus said. "But it's not gonna happen at the Ball, I assure you. You know what, Scorps?"

"What, A-Sev?" asked Scorpius, picking at a loose thread on the sleeve of his school robes.

"You're too wound up in yourself. You need to get out more! GO with the flow! Date some girls!" Albus said. "I mean, you've been on what…three dates your whole life?"

"Yes, and I could care less if I ever had three more my entire life. Girls aren't what's on my mind 24/7, A-Sev," Scorpius said softly.

"If that's the case at fifteen years old, you have serious issues, Scorps," Albus said, trying on the beard, deeming it too big, and then taking it off. "Is it possible to have your chin shrink during puberty? I swear this thing fit last year!"

"Your chin didn't shrink. The rest of your head got bigger."

"Clever, Scorps." Albus said, trying the beard on again.

"You really want me to go, don't you?" Scorpius sighed.

"It'll benefit you to get out and flirt around a bit, man," Albus warned. "You don't want to die a virgin, do you?"

"No, but we are STILL only fifteen!"

"I've had sex before!" shrugged Albus.

"Which only know about…and it was only because last year, you charmed Joelle Lenoir's butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks to taste like the sweetest pumpkin juice ever brewed! She was so trashed…it was just too easy for you."

"Thank you!" Albus said, taking a mock bow.

"You're a demon," Scorpius said, smiling and shaking his head, trying not to laugh. "But if you really insist I go, then I guess I'll go!"

"Go as my other namesake!" smiled Albus. "We could find a nice mop and make it black for your wig!" Scorpius make a face like he'd bitten into a fresh cold lemon.

"Ugh! I prefer something that WASHED it's hair!" Scorpius said. Albus frowned.

"So…you going as a tree?" he asked.

"I'll letcha know," Scorpius said, gathering his books and heading back to his room without another word. He didn't bother telling Albus (he wouldn't take it seriously anyways) but he didn't really want to go to the Halloween Ball because he felt a bad feeling in his gut that something WAS going to happen, something that would be disastrous in one way or another. He didn't get those feelings often, and he certainly wasn't a Seer, but when those feeling shit, they hit hard. He decided that he WAS going to go, for Albus was right. Scorpius needed to learn to go with the flow more. But still…

It scared him.

* * *

The weekend before the Halloween Ball, Castora Dursley, Rose Weasley, and Lily Potter were all in the Gryffindor common room discussing costuming ideas. Well, Rose and Lily were, actually. Castora's mind was drifting as she waved her wand, keeping a teacup in the air beside the couch she was sprawled out on. She seemed uninterested.

"I want to go as Tonks Lupin for Halloween. I've never been a historical figure before! It'll be like honoring her memory, and I'm sure Teddy would LOVE to see that!" said an excited Rose. "I'll charm my hair to turn pink whenever I smile!"

"Either that, or he'd put your light out with one swing," Lily said. "I'm going as a hippogriff, but a human-like hippogriff."

"That makes absolutely no sense, Lils," Rose said, rolling her eyes.

"I'm making a white feathered dress and a headband lined with feathers!" Lily said. "I'm sure I'll be the belle of the Ball!"

"Well, you keep telling yourself that." Lily pouted. Rose turned to Castora. "What about you, Cas?"

Castora was caught off-guard, so when she broke concentration, the teacup fell to the earth and shattered. Rose pointed her wand and rolled her eyes. "_Reparo_!" she moaned. The teacup automatically fixed itself and sat itself back on the table, where it belonged in the first place. "Cas?"

"Uhn?"

"What's the matter with you?" she asked. "Aren't you going to the Ball?"

"Eh, probably not," said Castora, shrugging. Lily gasped.

"Why not?"

"It's not going to be very fun, is it? I mean, the Gryffindors and the Slytherins are going to be duking it out all night, so what's the point? It'll be like watching wrestling with my dad all summer!"

"THE POINT?!" Rose shrieked. "The POINT is, you have to show up! Have some pride for your House!"

"The only HOUSE I have is the one on Privet Drive my family lives in, thank you very much!" Castora said stubbornly. "This Blood War is dangerous, stupid, and I, for one, refuse to be a part of it! Do what you want, but I'm not going to put my neck on the line for a stupid rivalry!"

"Bitch," muttered Rose.

"Hypocrite!" retorted Castora.

Lily looked at Rose with interest. "How so?" Rose challenged.

"YOU, Miss_ 'I want to go as Tonks Lupin!'_ Seeing what Tonks died fighting for, don't you think it'd be an insult to her memory if you went dressed as her and you got caught in the middle of a brawl like you almost did the first night of the term?!" Castora said. "Merlin, Rosie! Teddy WOULD knock you out with one punch! He was orphaned, and his parents sacrificed themselves so that our generation WOULDN'T be fighting the worst war since the First War!"

"That rhymed," Lily muttered. Castora didn't say anything.

"It just pisses me off so much!" Castora said. "Why can't we all just get along? It's like Tom Riddle's back! And it's not just those damn Slytherins, either! It DOES take two to tango!"

"Sorry I said anything," muttered Rose. "I'll go as Mad-Eye Moody…"

Castora collapsed back onto the couch with a groan. Lily sighed. "I still want you to come. There'll be a LOT of Professors there anyway. After that last big fight, the Hogwarts Staff will be sure to keep the peace at the Ball."

"But the tension will still be there, I can assure you!" Castora said. "Never a good thing."

Lily licked her lips. "I also heard that Duncan Finnegan's going to be there!"

Castora rolled on her side. "Great, all the MORE reason for me to skip it."

Duncan Finnegan, son of Harry Potter's friend Seamus Finnegan, was a sixth year and a Hufflepuff, although as far as allegiance went, he leaned towards Gryffindor. He was good looking, and nice enough to everyone. Duncan has constantly tried to hook up with Castora, and while James Potter and Rose thought the match was a good one, Castora didn't think highly of Duncan. He wasn't a bad fellow at all, but he just wasn't the right one for her.

"What's wrong with Duncan? He's a sweet boy and he'd be a great husband!" Rose suggested.

"Husband! Psh! The day I get married will be the day Teddy turns his hair lime-green with orange tips!"

"It could happen! He has a sexy Irish accent!" suggested Lily. She waved her wand so the teapot sitting next to the newly-repaired teacup poured a second serving of ginseng tea into it. Castora accepted the offer and summoned the cup and took a sip of the warm liquid. She rolled her eyes.

"Marriage! Really, you bubble-heads! We're fifteen! It's entirely too soon to think about such things," Castora insisted.

"Fair enough," Lily said. "But we DO need to work on your costume…"

Castora rolled her eyes and spoke with conviction. "I don't want you two fussing over MY costume as well as your own. I'm going dressed as Queen Guinevere," she decided calmly.

Lily nodded with satisfaction. "Nice choice."

Rose squealed. "Ooh, I know an absolutely GORGEOUS dress you could wear that'll make your red hair stand out and it'll make Duncan Finnegan absolutely DROOL over you!!"


	4. I Kissed a Goddess Tonight

The night of Halloween Ball filled the air with excitement as the student donned their costumes and hoarded themselves into the Great Hall. The Hall was decorated with orange and black decorations floating in midair. Instead of the usually foods on the buffet table, the whole table was lined with hundreds of kinds of candy and sweet drinks. A big band was singing and playing music on the stage. Even the Aurors who'd been called on standby were dressed up in simple costumes and masks. The whole air in the room seemed to be filled with a type of positive mischief and frivolity. It thrilled the students to be there.

Of course, the majority of the Slytherins stayed on one side of the Hall, and the Gryffindors remained on the other. Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw danced carefully in the middle. Once the music got going, the crowd seemed to mesh a little more, but both houses still kept peaceful and distant. Scorpius and Albus were dancing with their Slytherin mates towards the back of the crowd, while Castora and Rose danced with James Potter and his mates towards the front. For a good hour, much to the relief of Scorpius, the dance was a lot of fun. Dressed as a medieval Romanian Warlock, Scorpius never looked so dashing.

"Hey, Scorps, glad you decided to come?" asked A-Sev, his arm around a sixth-year Ravenclaw girl with jet black hair, wearing what looked suspiciously like a tight cat costume, both young people looking like they'd dipped too deeply into the butterbeer stash they'd brought.

"It's fun, I guess," Scorpius shrugged, wanting to get away from Albus, his breath smelling of alcohol.

"You guess? Aww, common, man! Have a firewhiskey!" Albus said, thrusting a shot glass out at Scorpius. Shaking his head, laughing, and pushing it away, he decided that a getaway would be a good time, NOW more than later. Lucky for him, a slow song was coming over the room, and couples were beginning to latch onto each other. Since Scorpius was a happily single man, this was his excuse.

"I have to take a leak, A-Sev," Scorpius shrugged. Albus rolled his eyes and downed the shot. "And be careful, man, you're going to be wasted so far off your ass you'll be flying around the room!"

"Don't fall in the toilet, you douche!" Albus laughed drunkedly. Scorpius rolled his eyes and laughed lightly, headed as far away from Albus as he could get. Not that he was annoyed, but Albus did have a reputation for being a bit of a partier…a reputation neither of his professors or parents knew about, no doubt. Being the son of Harry Potter, Albus no doubt was glorified by every professor he had. The lucky bastard.

While thinking heavily of this, Scorpius lost track of where he was stepping, and he fell over James Potter, pouring himself a glass of pumpkin punch. The drink spilled all over James. James whipped around and growled. The look in his eyes was scary and fierce, the flames in them setting off his golden-red hair.

"You clumsy little Slytherin monkey!" he yelled, whipping out his wand and pointing it at Scorpius. Luckily, the quick action of two Aurors held James back while Scorpius ducked out of his way. This little bit of chaos was hardly recognized by the rest of the room, which went on dancing as the lovely romantic ballad continued.

"I'll get him for this one…" James muttered maliciously after the Aurors holding him back shoved him in the direction of the stairwell leading back to Gryffindor Tower.

* * *

Scorpius, wanting to lie low after nearly dodging that bullet with James Potter, stayed on the edge of the Great Hall, just watching people dance. He looked down only for a moment to adjust the belt of his costume. When he looked up again, he eyes flew automatically to focus on a young girl he'd never seen before. He didn't even know what attracted his eye to her…but he was glad it did. Dressed in a white gossamer gown that made her kinky red hair stand out, the girl wasn't dancing either, but leaning against a column, seemingly satisfied just to watch the other dancers have fun. Her eyes were a very brutally intense blue, and her smile was enough to make Scorpius want to get his own teeth whitened just so they looked half as radiant as hers. Squinting to get a better look, Scorpius could see now that the girl was rounder, not thin or fat, but right in the middle. Just right. Seeing her made the rest of the world fade away, and it made his chest pound so hard it hurt. How old was she? She didn't look to be older than he, but if she was younger, it was only by a year or two…

The girl turned her head of a brief moment, and she caught sight of him staring at her, a smile curling on his lip. She turned a little red from the sudden attention, but she didn't turn away. Instead, she giggled and looked at her feet, then back up at Scorpius.

The girl finally tore her gaze away from the cute young man. Scorpius took this as a sign to come over to her. He gently eased his way around the outskirts of the crowd, and tapped her on the shoulder.

"How come I've never seen you before?" he asked.

"I wouldn't know. I've never seen you, either," answered the girl. "But I am glad I am now."

"So am I," smiled Scorpius. Her voice was strong, not airy, but not unfeminine either. The girl blushed. "What year are you?"

"Fifth," she answered. So she WAS in his year!

"Your eyes keep drawing me in…I'm in orbit around you and I can't get away…" Scorpius said, all too truthfully. He leaned down towards the girl for a kiss, but she leaned away.

"What was that? I don't do it on purpose!" she protested.

"You say that like it's a bad thing! You're not a witch, you're a goddess."

The girl blushed even redder, embarrassed by the fancy poetic talk and the attention of this handsome young stranger.

"You must be, to have such power in your eyes…" said Scorpius.

"Are you a writer? You're talking like a poet!" the girl said, a hint of delight in her voice. It was one of Scorpius' strongest talents. He secretly had a poetic/writer/artsy side.

"Do you want me to stop?" asked Scorpius. The girl thought a moment.

"No. To find a man who talks like a poet is such a rare treasure nowadays!" said the redhead. "It makes me feel, well, like a phoenix, radiant and young."

"See? Now YOU'RE doing it!" Scorpius said. This made both young people laugh.

"I mean, today, boys write poetry consisting entirely of burping, breasts, drinking and talking about fat asses. At least you don't smell like firewhiskey while you recite you poetry," said the girl.

"I'm being inspired by the alcohol in your eyes, my lady," said Scorpius. He didn't sound like a flirt at all, but more like an obsessive lover who's intentions were pure and honorable.

The ballad sang sweetly through the air as the world melted away around the pair. Scorpius held out his hand. "Do you dance?"

The girl shook her head. "Not very well. I'm pretty clumsy," she warned.

"I don't care," Scorpius whispered. He took her hand and guided her onto the dance floor, where dating couples slow danced. Scorpius guided the flattered (and embarrassed) girl in a waltz step. She caught on quickly. She didn't need to look at her feet to see where she was going. Scorpius' eyes said all she needed to know.

They swirled and turned around on the ballroom floor without a care in the world.

Before either of them could a say anything, Rose Weasley came running at the girl. She gasped and abruptly stopped the dance to shove Scorpius behind the column where they had previously been leaning. Rose didn't see them, and continued looking. Scorpius peered behind the column.

"What was—"

But he was abruptly interrupted by the kiss the girl laid upon his lips. Scorpius relished the beautiful feeling all of a sudden. He kissed her back with twice as much passion before she let go, her cheek even redder (how red did they get?).

"You ever kiss a girl before?" she asked.

"No, and I still haven't. Tonight I kissed a goddess," Scorpius muttered. The girl's heart was pounding against her ribcage, stopping her breath.

"What's your name?" Scorpius asked.

Rose called out the answer in her desperate search for the girl. "CASTORA! CAS?!"

The girl nodded at the sound. "Castora. Castora Dursley." she answered.

"I'm Scorpius, Scorpius Malfoy," Scorpius introduced. The expression on Castora's face changed almost instantly and dramatically from one of lovesickness to one of pure terror.

"M…Malfoy? You said Malfoy?" she asked suddenly. Scorpius nodded, wondering what was wrong.

"Yes, I did, but what does that—"

"CASTORA, THERE YOU—" Rose Weasley found the two young people behind the column. She grabbed Castora's arm, but when her eyes fell upon Scorpius, her expressed changed to match Castora's. Suddenly, Scorpius understood it all. For Rose Weasley was a Gryffindor.

And apparently, so was Castora.

* * *

After having dragged Castora away from Scorpius, Rose sternly sat Castora down at a table and sat beside her, looking about ready to smack her. Meanwhile, Castora was still red from kissing Scorpius Malfoy. He was a Malfoy! A Slytherin! She's just fallen in love with her enemy.

But why didn't she care? Castora watched fondly as Scorpius, seemingly upset, bounded up the stairs and out of the Great Hall and out of sight. Rose roughly tugged on Castora's shoulder so that she would have her mate's attention again.

"Are you mental, Cas?" asked Rose. "Why were you behind that column with HIM? He's a _SLYTHERIN_! And not just ANY Slytherin…oh, that boy is about as snakelike as you get!"

"Not a snake. A charmer," muttered a lovestruck Castora.

Rose lightly smacked Castora to get her to come back to earth. "He's not for you, so STAY AWAY if you know what's good for you! Couldn't you see the evil snakelike glare he's bound to have in his eye?"

"No, I only saw him," Castora said.

"He's your enemy! He's a pureblooded bigot! You're HIS enemy too as a Muggle-born!" Rose advised.

"Rosie…you know what…?"

"What?" Rose said angrily. Castora then saw Rose give her "the pout." Rose got it no doubt from her mother Hermione. She would purse her lips, knit her eyebrows, cross her arms, and cock her head to one side at a certain angle. When Rose gave anyone "the pout" they knew they would lose the fight.

"I need to go to bed, I'm tired," lied Castora, getting up to go.

"You do that. I'm saying out a while longer. Get to sleep…and forget about men! They all suck anyways!" Rose advised, smiling after the last phrase. Castora turned back, not smiling, but annoyingly rolling her eyes and heading upstairs in the opposite direction that Scorpius had just gone.


	5. Falling for the Goddess

Muttering curse words to himself as he climbed the spiraling staircase to the clock tower of Hogwarts, Scorpius mused over how he couldn't get the image of Castora Dursley, the Muggle-born Gryffindor, out of his mind. The girl was…oh, how could he put it? There was no word for this girl. She was, well…um…

She was off limits. They could never be. Even after how perfect that kiss felt back in the Ball (which was still going on, he could hear the revelry continuing still), Scorpius knew that it was impossible for him to have a relationship with Castora. His father, for one, would go absolutely ballistic. It would be destroying the pureblood family line and wiping out two noble houses that went back for centuries. Not to mention, not many of the Slytherins would be thrilled by it. As much as he despised the fact, being a rare pureblood, Scorpius was like a crown jewel in the House of Slytherin, whether he liked it or not. He did occasionally have girls try and ask him out with at least a half-blood status. Draco had encouraged Scorpius to lean towards this one sixth year who was interested, Asterope Rosier, who was related to Draco's grandmother, Druella, who married into the House of Black.

Merlin, there was just too much wrong here….but once Scorpius got Castora's gorgeous smile back into his thoughts, all those problems seemed to fade away. He felt like a hopeless romantic, which wasn't what he was. He was a practical boy who didn't want girls to ruin his life. So why was she so different?

Well, Scorpius couldn't have said it better himself back in the Ball. He'd kissed a goddess. She wasn't a mudblood. She wasn't a Gryffindor. Ugh…what did houses MEAN anyway? Just some friendly competition gone horribly wrong, was what Scorpius was always impressed as it being, although growing up an only child with both parents being pureblooded Slytherin alumni. His mother, Astoria Greengrass-Malfoy, had died last year of some form of what Healers called 'cancer.' Even wizarding spells couldn't heal it, and Astoria passed quickly, leaving Scorpius the sole heir to two pureblooding houses (three, if Greengrass was counted). He was the crown jewel of that world, his father's world. If Draco had gotten wind that even now, Scorpius was heartsick over a 'mudblood,' there would be hell to pay for him, no doubt.

But why should blood status matter?

Scorpius decided to put those thoughts on hiatus until he got up to the clock tower. No one but he knew of this place, but once in the clock tower, if one had enough upper-body strength to climb a few crossbeams, there was a cozy little seat big enough for one person in the upper corner of the tower, just underneath the 11 on the clock, where one could look out and get the best view of the grounds. Scorpius had used this spot as a getaway many times when a row between houses broke out or when Albus wouldn't leave him alone.

But when he looked up, preparing for his ascent, he realized that the spot was already occupied by a kinky redheaded goddess that made his heart stop beating as he looked up. Bashfully, he ducked behind a beam, but not out of sight. Castora was cuddled in the little window, talking to herself like Scorpius had been doing in his head.

"Malfoy…" she muttered. "What does it matter that you're a Slytherin? I'd disown my house just to see you again. How can I? We've gone to school together for five years without even knowing it. Why couldn't I have been my wizarding Uncle Harry's child instead? Then, at least I wouldn't have had NO blood in me. Why does it have to matter so much who I am?" Castora muttered to herself. Scorpius felt his heart beat again and pick up speed. She was talking about him! Licking his lip, Scorpius carefully clutched up onto a beam and began silently climbing up towards Castora.

The moonlight weaved through her hair like a half-finished tapestry with a few loose threads here and there. The moonlight brought out a few faults of her too, like the lone zit she had on the corner of her chin, and her somewhat larger nose, but other than that, Scorpius thought her beautiful.

"Scorpius Malfoy…" Castora muttered hesitantly. Then she smiled to herself and sighed. "Mrs. Castora Malfoy…Mrs. Scorpius Malfoy…Mrs. Castora Dursley-Malfoy…ugh, why must my last name suck so much, it doesn't go with—"

"—HOLY SHIIIIT!!!!" Scorpius suddenly yelled, the beam he was climbing on collapsing from underneath him all of a sudden. The one beam breaking led to a few more breaking, including the one that supported where Castora sat. With a high-pitched scream, she began tumbling down, along with the broken beams. The clock tower bell began tolling due to the constant vibration of the collapsing beam system. Castora managed to grab onto a safer beam so she didn't become smashed on the floor of the tower. Scorpius, his fall being much shorter, landed safely on his rear on the ground. Luckily, not enough beams had been broken in the process to totally collapse the tower.

Castora, once the beams had finished falling, let go of the steady beam and let herself fall much safer, to the earth. But she still landed with quite a thud. Scorpius shot up to help her to her feet. Once he did so, Castora moaned and slumped to one side. Her ankle was twisted.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Are you MAD?" was Castora's reply. "You really think these old beams can support the weight of two?!"

"Not really," said Scorpius, wanting to smack himself for his stupidity. Castora's angry look didn't last long, however. She smiled after a moment, though it didn't seem up to its full potential.

"I'll just send you the hospital bill, well….good night…" she said, rather quickly, turning on her uninjured heel. Scorpius grabbed her wrist.

"Where are you going?" he asked, rather offended that she didn't choose to stay longer.

"Scorpius," she sighed after a moment. "We can't see each other. We just…can't."

Scorpius looked at her for a moment and saw the horror on her face. "Why?"

Castora rolled her eyes. "You idiot! We both know why!!" she said, losing a bit of her control. "You're a Slytherin and I'm a Gryffindor! You're a pureblood and I'm a—"

"—Castora, I don't care what we are. There are so many more important things! Slytherins aren't bad people, if that's what you're implying…"

"I KNOW they aren't, but it's still REALLY dangerous! What if someone caught wind of us sneaking around?" Castora looked over her shoulder at the entrance to the clock tower, as if she expected someone to arrive any moment.

"What if they didn't?! Castora…Merlin, that name is beautiful…you know, I'm not ashamed of kissing a Gryffindor."

Castora looked at her feet a moment. "Neither am I, of kissing a Slytherin."

Scorpius moved in a little closer to Castora. "They what should the problem be? We're at a school we should be safe!"

"But we're not! Last year, my cousin was almost killed, and two months ago, so was I. A curse almost hit me!" Castora said, showing Scorpius a scar on her left elbow. Scorpius took it in his hand and gently caressed it. Castora felt a chill go down her spine.

"We're protected! Not only by the school and the ghosts, but by the spirits who died here twenty-four year ago so that we could live in peace! They'd be on our side, Castora. I'm sure of it…"

Scorpius and Castora leaned in to each other and kissed again. This time, the kiss went deeper, deeper into their souls. Scorpius wrapped his arms around Castora, as she gently fingered Scorpius' neck.

Suddenly, she broke away again. Scorpius stumbled backwards.

"It still could be dangerous!" Castora warned.

"There are ways that it doesn't have to be dangerous!" protested Scorpius.

"I'm listening. Like what?" asked Castora, crossing her arms. Before Scorpius could reply, a mess of footsteps approached. A few professors were coming up to the clock tower to see what the hell had just happened.

Scorpius made haste with his next words. "Do you love me?"

Castora blinked. "What?"

"Do you love me, Castora?"

Castora gasped as shadows began to dance on the wall behind them. "Someone's coming this way!"

"DUCK!" Scorpius commanded. Both students ducked in opposite directions. Castora fell behind a stone column, and Scorpius crouched behind some of the debris. Just after they'd concealed themselves, Minerva McGonagall, Professor Neville Longbottom (Herbology) and Professor Dennis Creevey (Muggle Studies) entered the room.

"Merlin, what in the name of Hufflepuff happened here?" muttered Professor Creevey.

"Might have been a renegade hippogriff…" McGonagall hypothesized, the deep wrinkles in her forehead becoming more pronounced with each word. "Happens sometimes during this season, their migratory season."

"Then how come there are no holes in the walls, Headmistress?" asked Professor Longbottom.

As the three adults discussed the possible explanations for the damage, Castora saw a chance to sneak out. Scorpius peered his head out from under the debris just in time to see Castora tiptoe towards the door. He motioned for her to stop, and she did out of fright.

Scorpius signed with his hands and mouthed "meet me in Great Hall tomorrow?"

Castora's frightened eyes came back. "No!" she mouthed.

Scorpius shrugged and mouthed "why?"

Castora signed with her body as silently as she could: she first pointed at him and made a snake-like movement with her arms, and then she pointed at herself and made her mouth look like she was making a lion-like growl in pantomime. Then she quickly made her way to the door and dashed out of sight. Scorpius groaned under his breath and hid until the professors had moved to the other side of the tower, and he got make his own getaway.

Once out in the hall and safely away from the professors and the damaged clock tower, he quickly ran in the direction of Castora. He could vaguely hear the light pitter-patter of her shoes as she ran/limped away, but she was already well out of sight, and Scorpius had no hope of finding his goddess again tonight.


	6. Love by Floo Powder

The next morning, Scorpius got took advantage of everyone else so tired or so hung over from last night to get up early and sneak out for a morning visit to the greenhouses. The hallways were deathly silent. Even the ghosts and Peeves weren't up at this hour. Good. Then no trouble could arise. Scorpius didn't mind too much anyways. His mind was up on cloud nine with the previous night. Although he'd been skeptical before, and although he was only fifteen years old, not even of legal wizarding age, Scorpius was one-hundred percent certain that he'd met the woman last night he wanted to share his life with until the end of time.

Suddenly, all the teaching he'd been raised on, the teaching of mudblood filth and pureblood superiority, and how purebloods were practically an endangered group of people, meant shit to Scorpius. Castora was all that mattered now. Sure, she was afraid. So was he, in a way. But Scorpius knew he could easily get around that, and once Castora came to her senses and realize that she loved him as much as he loved her, they're be nothing stopping them from having a happy future lying ahead of them. James Sirius Potter, nor Albus Severus Potter, nor Godric Gryffindor or Salazar Slytherin could stop them!

The only trouble now, was Castora. How could Scorpius convince her that there was nothing to be afraid of? That was why he was venturing out to the greenhouses at this hour, the sun was barely up.

Scorpius ran quickly through the Herbology room to get out to Greenhouse #2, where Herbology Professor Neville Longbottom was toying with a few of his rarer stashes of plants. He kept these in the back of the greenhouse and didn't use them for educational or demonstrative purposes. He seemed to be deeply studying a plant that looked like a cross between a daffodil and a bamboo shoot. He also seemed to be muttering to himself.

"Amazing! I've never seen blooms so late in the season!" Neville marveled.

"Professor!" Scorpius sounded. Even he was taken off guard by the happy, high-pitched optimism in his voice. Neville whipped his head around and looked up at Scorpius, who was standing in the doorway. He smiled.

"Up so early, Scorpius, after such a long night?" Neville said. "Come on in!"

Scorpius stumbled into the greenhouse and made his way over to his Professor. "The night wasn't so long!"

"It was for me," Neville noted. "Something caused the beams in the clock tower to crash and Professor Creevey and I had to spend until four in the morning repairing them! We still don't know what caused it—"

"—it was my heart, beating so loud it made the tower collapse!" Scorpius said, seemingly out of breath for no reason. Neville gave him an odd look, a very deserving odd look.

"Son, I think you're out of bed too early—"

"—No! Professor! I'm not kidding. I was up in the clock tower last night, and she made my palms sweat and my heart race, I lost my balance and fell right off the tower, bringing it all down with me!" Scorpius announced, as if it were the most common occurrence in the world. Neville raised an eyebrow.

"She?"

"Oh, Professor Longbottom, I've never been so in love before! I met her at the Halloween Ball!"

"In love? After one night? Impossible!" Neville scoffed. "I really think another hour's sleep will do you some good, lad."

"Oh come now, what about you and YOUR wife?" Scorpius challenged.

"Hannah and I spent seven years at school together before we even courted," Neville said.

"But you must have been in love at my age!"

"Don't call it love, lad," advised Neville, turning to face his plant again. "You're fifteen. It's not love as much as…um…desire, you're feeling. When you learn to distinguish the difference, THAT is when you—"

"—you're not listening! It isn't lust or desire at all, or I would've known! Castora's the ONE, Professor! She's my true love!"

Upon mentioning her name, Neville turned around, his look changed. "What did you say her name was?"

"Oh, her name is poetic! Castora! Castora! Castora!"

"Dursley?!?" Neville almost had a stroke right then and there. "The Gryffindor?!"

Scorpius nodded, without words this time. Neville couldn't believe his ears. A million different thoughts ran through his head. This was trouble, trouble indeed. A pureblooded Slytherin claiming to be in love with a Muggle-born Gryffindor was about as polar as one couple could get. If word got out, all hell would break loose, it was certain. But, then again, Scorpius and Castora both held such high rank with their respective houses that perhaps, this was the key to a long-awaited armistice to the fighting.

"Does she love you back?" Neville asked.

Scorpius sighed. "That's what I came to talk to you about," he said.

Neville's tense shoulder sulked again. "She doesn't?"

"No, she does! We kissed, and she kissed me back without letting go. We danced at the Ball…but she is afraid. I think I am too."

"Good reason too. I always liked her. Castora has good sense," Neville said. "If only all the other Gryffindors were like her."

"I want to be with her forever, Professor! How do I get her to ease her mind?" Scorpius asked.

"I still think you're mental," Neville said, reaching into his pocket. "But this will help, if you're so insistent I help you out." He extracted a small tin, handing it to Scorpius. Scorpius opened it and stared oddly at the grey-green powder inside.

"Floo powder?' Scorpius asked.

Neville nodded. "I'm her Head of House. I'll tell her to come into the Gryffindor common room after curfew. At midnight, you can come to her this way through the Slytherin fireplace for an hour."

"Good idea! Thank you, Professor!" Scorpius couldn't help but give the Professor a big hug. Neville returned it only briefly.

"Now do yourself a favor, get back to your dormitory and get some sleep!" Neville pushed. Scorpius nodded and ran in a whirl to the door, tripping over a freshly-potted gillyweed plant in a watery pot on his way out.

* * *

Castora laid stretched out on one of the Gryffindor common room couched, thumbing through an old novel, waiting. Professor Longbottom had said that someone wanted to meet her here. Castora suspected her father or Uncle Harry was checking up on her, making sure she knew everyone was behaving themselves in the midst of all the chaos.

But Castora had other things on her mind. All day today, she'd had nothing on her but Scorpius Malfoy. What he'd said to her the night before, and the Ball…how they danced! How they kissed! Castora had never felt that way for anyone in her entire life.

But the handsome boy was very impulsive, she realized. He insisted they start a romance in the middle of a full-out Blood War that centered around their very school, a war that separated them with a very thick, very high wall.

But his eyes, they way they'd gone soft when he came over to her. His mature and poetic way with words, his gentlemanly manner, and his soft touch on her body as he danced with her. The ballad still rung loud in her ears! But, of course, her sense had gotten in the way last night, and she'd run away from him when he proposed that they meet in secret the next day, despite his assurance that everything would be alright in the end.

How she wished to be able to see him again and tell him how she really felt, and that were it not for the Blood War, she'd gladly go out with him!

But some things could not be helped…

A sudden fire erupted in the fireplace near Castora's sofa. As the flames went green, she rolled her eyes. SO, it WAS Uncle Harry checking up on her! How very typical…

But she didn't expect Scorpius Malfoy to step out of the green flames before they went out. However, it was, indeed, Scorpius how appeared, a small smile curling on the ends of his lips.

"Castora," he whispered. On impulse, Castora shot up and ran to him, arms open wide. But before she could embrace him, she hesitated and stepped back.

"Scorpius?! What the bloody hell are you doing here? If anyone sees you, you'll be killed on the spot!" she whispered.

"It's past curfew. No one will come down here," Scorpius insisted. Castora shook her head.

"This…this can't happen!"

Scorpius took her hands in his and ran his thumbs over her knuckled gently. Gently as it was, it was enough to send chills down Castora's back. "But it can, and I want it to," Scorpius insisted. "Do YOU want it to happen?"

Castora bit her lip. "Yes, very much. I couldn't stop thinking about you all day," she confessed. Scorpius beamed.

"Me neither! I think I love you!" Scorpius said, a little too loudly. Castora hushed him.

"You think? You only think?" Castora said after a moment. Scorpius' smile faded. "Because if you were being truthful to me, you'd swear it."

"I do swear, Castora! I love you more than I've ever loved anyone!" Scorpius said.

"How can I be sure?" Castora said. "We are enemies. How can I be sure this isn't some—"

But Castora cut herself off as she looked into the blue eyes. Scorpius was looking at her with a look that melted her very core. He was sincere, she could tell by the look on his face.

"I…I want to marry you," Scorpius said, stumbling in his sentence only the once. Castora almost choked on her spit when she heard this.

"You're mental," Castora said.

"Do you love me?" Scorpius asked. Castora felt his hands in hers, and knew her answer.

"Yes. I do," she answered.

"Castora, we belong together. I can feel it!" Scorpius said, a twinge of youthful excitement in his voice.

"I can feel it too," Castora said. She was finally convinced. Scorpius took her in his arms and kissed her tenderly on her plump lip. Castora returned the kiss threefold, and the lovers let the world melt away around them. When their lips finally parted, Castora was all Scorpius'.

"Castora, Professor Longbottom is on our side. I will make it known to him that we intend to marry before the holidays," Scorpius said. Castora broke away from Scorpius' grip.

"We're only fifteen," she said. "Shouldn't we at least court for awhile?"

"And how do you expect we do that?" Scorpius asked. "Meet secretly by Floo Powder, past midnight every night until we graduate? They couldn't make enough Floo Power in the world!"

"I know, I know," Castora said, going back to Scorpius and brushing her lips against his nose.

"If we marry before holiday recess, we can go home, tell our families, then my father will be forced to understand and your cousins will be forced to reconcile, therefore reuniting Slytherin and Gryffindor! We'll be living happily again by Easter!"

"Even Easter is a long ways off," Castora warned. Scorpius nodded.

"Professor Longbottom can bind us in marriage this very weekend," he promised.

Castora thought a reasonable moment. "Please," Scorpius said. "Before the flames in the fireplace die and I have nowhere to go!"

Castora's heart raced within her chest. It really could happen. Hogwarts could see peacetime again, and all because Scorpius and she were in love and married! She may have only been fifteen, but that was as long as the Blood War had been going on.

"Scorpius, I love you. Let's get married this weekend!" Castora said. Scorpius grinned and took Castora tighter into his grip.

"I love you too," Scorpius said. He then broke away from Castora. "I have to go before the flames go out."

Scorpius gave his bride-to-be one more kiss on the cheek and stepped up to the fireplace. Castora caught his arm again.

"When will you send for me on Saturday?" she asked.

"Tell only your closest friend, then have her come with you down to Greenhouse #2 at noon," Scorpius instructed.

"Scorpius, until then," Castora said. "Be careful."

"You too, Castora," Scorpius said, throwing her one more kiss before stepping into the fireplace and tossing the Floo Powder that would return him back to the Slytherin common room.

Castora felt dizzy from all the passion and rush that had just occurred. She needed to get some sleep before going to tell Rose that she was going to be a bride!


	7. Are You Mental!

"Absolutely! Marriage while you're still under aged is a marvelous idea!"

"Really?"

_**"NO!!! ARE YOU MENTAL?!" **_

Scorpius had gone the very next day to the greenhouses at the crack of dawn to get Neville's permission to marry him and Castora that Saturday. Neville was less than accepting of the idea.

"Yes, yes I am mental," Scorpius protested. "My mum always said she was mental for loving Dad, and so I came to believe love as a form of insanity."

Neville muttered under his breath, "Well, anyone would have to be daft to love your Dad."

"What was that?" Scorpius asked.

"Nothing."

"But Castora agreed to marry me, and we want to do so as soon as possible!" Scorpius said. "Surely you must at least see where we're coming from?"

Neville groaned as he took a pot containing a bitter root from a Whomping Willow seedling. Scorpius followed him eagerly. "I don't see why you must do it this weekend!"

"Well, we can wait another week, but we both agreed we want to marry before the holiday recess," Scorpius said.

"Again, I ask, why?" Neville said. "I'm still not convinced you're in love. And the fact that Castora agreed to this poppycock is beyond my reasoning—"

"—does true love need a reason?" Scorpius asked. That question stopped Neville dead in his tracks. "In times like this, I'd think you'd be happy for two people who are able to see each other as not just which common they call their home, but as a person with feelings, emotions, fears and hopes. Two people who hear Gryffindor and Slytherin and think first of historical people and not legacies, or pride, or honors to be upheld! Professor Longbottom, Castora and I could bring our houses together through this bond. Hogwarts can finally become the peaceful place that you yourself, as I recall, fought for."

Neville looked at Scorpius, very moved and convinced by his speech. No normal fifteen year old boy looking for a thrill or two or getting married without thinking things through would have those words to say. "So, you two want to marry to reconcile the Houses?"

Scorpius shook his head. "No. We want to marry because we HAVE no Houses. We're going to show the world that there are more important things in life than pride and honor, and whether you're a snake, a lion, a badger or an eagle."

"Like what?" Neville asked, going to get some water for the willow seedling.

"True love. Which is what Castora and I have. Blood status means nothing to us. Damn the Houses of Malfoy and Black! What IS a House anyways?"

Neville smiled at Scorpius' wisdom. "Indeed."

"I was always under the impression that a House was a building with four walls and a roof where someone lived. Just something that stood there for centuries and didn't DO anything. A family is what I want to continue, not a House! I want to leave a FAMILY legacy, not a House legacy! Professor, I assure you, if you refuse to marry us on Saturday, we WILL find other means, Castora and I."

Neville found himself lost in thought. Visions fell before his eyes, provoked by Scorpius' speech. Articles in the _Daily Prophet_ showing pictures of Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter shaking peaceful hands as Scorpius and Castora kissed in the background; the two fighting brothers, Albus Severus and James Potter, embracing, brothers once more; the world as peaceful a place as those who died before wanted it to be for their children. All beginning with a kiss…

Neville turned to Scorpius. "Bring Castora here Saturday, and I will bind you two in marriage. BUT, take the rest of this week to seriously make sure what you are doing is right. Afterwards, we will gather your families and Houses together and give them the news."

Scorpius beamed. "Thank you, Professor! Thank you!" He squealed, like an excited girl, and ran out of the greenhouse and down the corridor, tripping again on his way out.

* * *

"Wait, read the letter again," begged Brady O'Toole. He and Albus Severus were sitting in the courtyard after lunch that day, reading a piece of parchment Albus had slipped under his door that morning. The courtyard was a lively place, where all the renegade Slytherins hung out between classes. Albus loved it out there. Peoples tossed Weasley products around, tested new hexes on unfortunate Gryffindor passersby, and enjoyed that last warm days of the year before winter sank in.

"To Scorpius Malfoy, House of Slytherin," A-Sev read, "I challenge you to a one-on-one duel, to the death, in the corridor outside the entrance to Ravenclaw Tower, send an owl back to Gryffindor Tower with the time. Signed, James Sirius Potter."

"You think he'll answer it?" asked Brady.

"Psht! He's literate, I should think he can answer a letter!" A-Sev said, shredding the parchment apart and tossing it to the breeze.

"But the challenge! Your brother—"

"—he is no brother of mine," A-Sev said between gritted teeth.

"James Potter said it was to be to the death. He could tell a Professor," Brady suggested.

"No, Scorpius is my man! He'll answer the duel, and smother James Potter into the dust! See, James is a bully. He liked to pick fight tot sound tough, so provoking this rumble might show us Slytherin he means business. But Scorpius, with me as his backup, of course, will, without a doubt, show James Potter that he means business!" A-Sev predicted. "James Potter is a buffoon! And a drama queen."

"You think?" asked Brady.

"Psht! No doubt, the boy couldn't produce an _Avada__Kedavra_ curse if he was facing that first year, Roxanne Weasley!" A-Sev said. "A monkey could take him!"

"Agreed," Brady said, holding up a scrap of the torn parchment. "But he told Scorpius to call a time."

"Eh, I think it'll be more…fun…to just have them meet randomly in some hallway and duke it out, don't you, Brady?"

* * *

"FINALLY! What, does it take you six hours to wash your hair?!" Castora said as Rose Weasley stepped causally out of the bathrooms in her bathrobe. Castora was pacing in a whirl around the five beds in the dormitory room up in Gryffindor tower. It was mid-afternoon, and Castora had twenty minutes before she had Potions class down in the dungeons. "You missed all your morning classes, and we had double-Charms!"

"I called in sick," Rose said casually. "See, I may have inherited my Mum's brains, but I also inherited my father's laziness. Slept in until lunchtime, then I took a long hot shower without anyone having to yell at me to wasting hot water! It's been the best morning I've had in a long time! Don't worry, Cas, Lily covered for me," she said, as if nothing was going on out of the ordinary. Castora groaned.

"Well, I've been thinking you've been avoiding me because of—"

"—because you're entire too mental?! Because of that DISTURBING piece of news you told me this morning?!" Rose suddenly burst out, revealing her previous attitude to be purely sarcastic (Rose was very good at that).

"Rosie—"

"—because you want to get married at fifteen years old, and to a SLYTHERIN?!"

"Shh!"

"And not just ANY Slytherin, but THE Slytherin?? The one who's got two pureblooded houses up his ass for him to produce a pureblooded heir, which cannot come from you?!" Rose said, taking down her brown hair and beginning to routinely comb it through. Castora took a seat on her bed. Rose paced the room. "I always thought you had more sense than that!"

"This doesn't make any sense, but in a good way," Castora said back. "Scorpius Malfoy loves me, and he proposed to me. We want it to happen this Saturday, and I want you to be my Maid of Honor."

"Flattered as I am," Rose said. "I, unlike you, am well aware how DANGEROUS this is!"

"Don't you think I thought this through?!" Castora protested. "I'm in love, but I'm not stupid! Scorpius is very popular with his house, and I am in mine. If we marry, not only will we be together forever, but our Houses will realize that this entire Blood War is stupid!"

"You can't think that one underground wedding will reconcile two Houses and two breeds of wizard that go back for centuries?!"

"Scorpius is one of only five purebloods in this school right now," Castora said. "If everyone sees that he married a Muggle-born like me purely out of love for me, then yes, I do believe that the Houses will reconcile!"

"You're mad as a hatter, you are," Rose said, beginning to plait her hair in two long rows.

"And you just figured this out?" Castora said raising her left eyebrow. Rose finally cracked a smile at this.

"Castora, I still believe you are a fool to rule over all fools. A wedding at fifteen, to your greatest enemy, during times like these. But…you are my best mate. And I do see what this could potentially do, beneficially and dangerously. So…I guess I don't see why I shouldn't be your Maid of Honor."

Castora beamed widely. "Oh, Rosie!" She got off her bed and ran to hug Rose. "But you cannot tell another soul. Not James, not Lily, not your parents or mine," she said.

"No," said Rose. "I wouldn't dream of it."

Castora let go of Rose and sighed happily. "I'm…I'm getting married this weekend! I'll be Castora Malfoy!"

"Ugh," Rose shuddered.

"What is it?" Castora asked.

"Could he possibly take your name?" Rose asked, smirking. Castora widened her eyes and broke out laughing. Rose joined the fit of laughter, and they both ended up skipping Potions just to laugh.


	8. A Beam of Lavender Light

_**A/N: **I was PMed about this story and asked to put up as cast list, as apparently some people were confused over the characterizations of the story's obvious references to Romeo and Juliet. I wasn't aware i was being unclear, but nevertheless, here's a cast list just so everyone is sure and can follow along easier: _

_Scorpius Malfoy--Romeo Montague_

_Castora Dursley--Juliet Capulet_

_Albus Severus Potter--Mercutio_

_James Sirius Potter--Tybalt_

_Rose Weasley--Juliet's Nurse_

_Lily Luna Potter--Mrs. Capulet_

_Draco Malfoy--Mr. Montague_

_Duncan Finnegan--Paris_

_Prof. Neville Longbottom--Friar Lawrence_

_Minerva McGonagall--Prince Escalus_

_Brady O'Toole (an OC)--Benvolio/Balthasar_

_Hope that clears things up! Enjoy the update!_

* * *

"Scorps! There you are! Didn't see you at breakfast!" 

A-Sev noticed Scorpius running down the corridor towards the greenhouses at 11:30 Saturday morning as he rushed past the entrance to the courtyard where the Slytherins hung out. Scorpius looked to be in a rush, but Albus hadn't seen him all week, so wherever Scorpius looked to be going, he could wait a few minutes as far as he was concerned. He got up from his game of Exploding Snap with Brady and decided to make chase.

"Sorry A-Sev, can it wait?" Scorpius said, only letting up his pace slightly. Albus chuckled as he quickened his own pace.

"Where have you been all week, Scorps? You missed Brady's birthday, and oh, you got an owl from my evil twit of a brother, he wants to kill you—"

"—tell him I'll owl him back later, okay? I have plans!" Scorpius said. Albus looked confused.

"You'll _**OWL **_him back? Did you HEAR me or did someone _Confund_ you?!" A-Sev asked.

"I have an appointment, very important," Scorpius said insistently. "And no, I'm not _Confunded_."

"Where are you going on a Saturday?!" he called, trying hard to catch up with Scorpius' brisk walking. "You used to have trouble getting out of bed any time before noon on weekends unless it was Hogsmeade day!"

"To the greenhouses," was Scorpius' answer. Albus looked confused.

"You were there every day the past few days! You never liked Herbology before! Are you in love with Professor Longbottom or something?!" Albus snickered at his own joke as he followed Scorpius.

"Something like that," said Scorpius, his breath all heavy from walking so fast in an attempt to avoid A-Sev.

"Well, I hate to break it to you, but Longbottom doesn't Chase for that team, and he's taken by that mean landlady at the Leaky Cauldron," Albus said with mock woefulness.

"You mean Hannah Abbot-Longbottom?" Scorpius said nonchalantly. "She's nice to me, just because she doesn't let YOU have firewhiskey shots…"

"A minor, overlookable detail. Anyways, Scorps, are you going to answer James' challenge or what?!" Albus asked to know.

"Don't have time, we'll talk later…" Scorpius said. Albus stopped walking.

"SCORPIUS!!" Albus yelled. Scorpius finally stopped and turned around. The two boys stared at each other. A-Sev was gritting his teeth in frustration.

"Are you coming to dinner tonight, at least? Brady and I, we need to catch up with you," he asked in a much softer tone after a moment. "And you have to tell us where you've been all week!"

Scorpius smiled. "Sure, A-Sev. You can count on it," he promised.

Albus grinned. "See you then, mate."

Scorpius' smile grew wider for a brief moment seeing the look on A-Sev's face. "Until then, mate."

Then Scorpius picked up the pace again and turned a corner. Albus watched him run off before heading his own way again, back to the courtyard before Brady cheated him with his back turned and won the game of Exploding Snap.

* * *

Neville was sitting, waiting for the noon hour to strike, in the greenhouse, reading over a basic wizarding marriage ceremony and what vows accompanied it. Seeing as marriage was supposed to be a vow for life, a variation of the Unbreakable Bond would be used.

Having woken up this morning with many doubts, fears, hopes, dreams, and other things clouding his mind, Neville had taken a visit to the Hall of the Honored to talk with the portraits of his parents, who had died within days of each other some four years earlier. He told them everything about what he was going to do, how he was uniting a son of Slytherin and a daughter of Gryffindor in hopes of ending the feud between their Houses. Frank and Alice had said nothing more than what Neville expected them to say: that while marrying two teenagers was very risky, the cause was more than honorable, as did the bride and groom's intentions seem. Neville knew that Scorpius was right, but he still wanted to keep some judgment in the equation. He only hoped his intuitions were right. For he may have been an adult and a professor, but he knew all too well that he didn't know everything.

Suddenly, Scorpius fell into the greenhouse, all out of breath and disheveled. Neville stood and went to help him to his feet.

"So, you're right on time," Neville noted.

"I couldn't sleep last night, and I couldn't get here soon enough," Scorpius answered. "Where is Castora?"

"Not here just yet," answered Neville. "Mind if I have a word with you before she arrives?"

Scorpius nodded. Neville took a deep breath. "Times like these are hard to get through, and acting rashly makes thing all the worse. I advise you two to be cautious about your love. Wait for the right moments, and think before you leap."

"Yes, sir," Scorpius said. "We know what we're doing."

Two more pairs of footsteps interrupted the conversation. Only Rose emerged from the bushes and wads of plant life in the greenhouse. She looked to be there unwillingly, yet she wore a peach-color jumper and a nice pair of white slacks. Her bushy brown hair was swept back into a simple ponytail and a paper lily held it in place. She looked like she'd at least made the effort to look presentable for her friend's wedding.

Her face, however, was painted in a severe scowl. She marched right up to Scorpius and grabbed him by the collar of his robes.

"If you're leading her on, or if you hurt her in any way, shape or form, I will come to your room in the middle of the night, and I will make you wish you never saw the sun go down," she warned. "I just want to let you know I don't think you're worth Castora's time in the least, and I don't support this at all, but I think her happiness is worth more than anything."

Scorpius solemnly nodded. "I promise I will take care of her."

"Are you mocking me?" asked Rose, threateningly.

Scorpius frantically nodded his head. Neville cleared his throat and gave Rose a wry look.

"Good," Rose said, letting go of Scorpius and retreating back to the bushes. Scorpius gave Neville a horrified look.

Neville shrugged. "Welcome to married life, lad."

Scorpius shrugged back with indifference after a moment and took his place to the right of Neville.

Rose emerged again after a few moments, just as the clock in Neville's office loudly announced the noon hour. This time, the scowl on her face was reduced to almost a pleasant smile, and she held a small bundle of orange lilies in her hand as she walked out of the bush and took her place on Neville's left, leaving a space for the bride, who emerged after a moment.

Scorpius could have sworn his breath left his body as Castora, carrying a larger (but still small) bundle of orange lilies. Of course, she couldn't have found wedding robes or even a fancy dress for the underground occasion, but instead wore a low-cut white frock with a skirt that hung mid-calf. She wore baby's breath in her hair, which was loose and free-flowing. The glow on her face was indescribable, at least to Scorpius. Neville smiled at her entrance. Scorpius could've sworn he heard soft, light, romantic music ringing in his ears, as the sunlight refracted off the lighthouse made her hair glimmer as she stepped into her place opposite Scorpius.

Neville took a breath. "We're here, performing a wedding under most unusual circumstances. Weddings done in secret don't stay in secret forever. But nevertheless, it is not only a commitment and a vow, but a demonstration of the love two people have for a each other, and an Unbreakable Bond that last as long as they live."

Castora smiled the smile that made Scorpius' heart stop. She handed her bouquet of lilies to Rose and gave her hands to Scorpius.

Neville continued. "Although your friends and family would look down upon your match, I, personally, feel that the spirits of those who's pictures hang in the Hall of the Honored look on us from behind the veil and smile at you two and the brave thing you have decided to do today."

Scorpius looked at his feet. Castora swore she saw him blush. Waved his wand, and a lavender ball of light appeared.

"Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, do you vow to love Margot Olivia Dursley—"

Castora flinched. Castora rolled her eyes. "My birth name," she explained to Scorpius.

"I think it's very pretty," Scorpius replied. Castora beamed.

"—to never leave her, to be loyal, honest, true, and obedient as long as your life lasts?"

"I do," Scorpius said loudly and clearly. The ball of lavender glowed and echoed Scorpius' voice. Neville conjured another lavender burst of light.

"Margot Olivia Dursley, do you vow to love Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, to never leave him, to be loyal, honest, true, and obedient as long as your life lasts?"

Castora took a deep breath and looked into Scorpius' eyes. "I do."

The beam of lavender light glowed bright and echoed Castora's words. Neville waved his wand again and produced one more ball of light. He turned to Rose.

"Rose Nymphadora Weasley, as sole witness to this Unbreakable Bond, do you vow to uphold these promises, to protect this couple and their bond with each other as long as your life lasts?"

Rose bit her lips and gave Scorpius a mild, but nonetheless menacing look. "I do."

The third beam of purple light glowed and echoed her voice. Neville started for a moment at the three hovering beams of lavender light with an odd expression on his face that none of the three students could identify. It was as if the seriousness and intensity of what he'd just done was just now sinking in.

Scorpius let go of Castora's left hand and dug into his pocket and pulled out a small brass ring that was engraved simply "_Scorpius and Castora—I Love You." _Castora gasped. She'd not expected a ring!

Scorpius took the ring and gently placed it on Castora's ring finger on her left hand. It glowed a soft, light, yet brilliant red. Castora felt ready to cry.

"This is a symbol of my everlasting love for you," Scorpius said. Neville smiled and waved his wand clockwise three times. The three beams of lavender light followed the trail Neville's wand made until the three small beams were one huge beam of lavender light.

Neville muttered an incantation and waved his wand again. "So shall you be Bonded eternally for as long as you live," he said. One last flick of the wand, and the lavender stream of light circled around Castora and Scorpius, and then it swirled gracefully around their joined hands. Amid the purple haze in the greenhouse, Castora and Scorpius kissed, thus sealing their Unbreakable Marriage Bond.

The purple mist cleared. Scorpius and Castora were subdued by the graceful, brief, wonderful ceremony that made them husband and wife.

"Castora, I must go," Scorpius said. Castora sighed.

"That's the worst part, we can't be together yet," she sighed. Rose pursed her lips.

"Castora, this evening, I will come to you up in the clock tower," Scorpius promised. Castora beamed and put her arms around Scorpius' neck and rocked her back and forth.

"It'll seem like forever until tonight," she said.

"Love, forever will START tonight," Scorpius replied.

"I'm going to vomit," Rose moaned. Neville laughed and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Must you go?" asked Castora. Scorpius nodded.

"The clock tower at eight, wait for me."

Castora nodded. "Yes, tonight at eight."

For the third time that week, Scorpius left the greenhouse quickly. But for the first time that week, he didn't stumble and fall on his way out.


	9. A Plague on Both Houses

Three hours later, A-Sev and Brady were still in the courtyard that counted as Slytherin territory, despite the wind beginning to pick up, and the grey clouds becoming darker, promising freezing rain. Many of the Slytherins had retreated to the common room to continue their games or gossip. Only Albus, Brady, and a few of the more careless Slytherins still sat around. Albus and Brady were trading chocolate frog cards with causal competition.

"I'm not giving away MY Agrippa for Morgaine Le Fey, A-Sev," insisted Brady. "Agrippa cards are rare, and besides, I already have three Morgaines!"

"Fine, then," Albus moaned sarcastically. "You drive a terribly hard bargain. For your Agrippa, I'll deal you a Lady of the Lake, a Cliodna, and a Merlin!"

"Sorry, you'll have to pry THIS card from my cold, dead hands!" Brady insisted.

"You can be such a git, Brady," said A-Sev. "I have taught you well!"

Brady grinned. "I think we'd better get inside. Rain's coming soon." But Albus shook his head.

"Ten more minutes," he insisted. "I hate being cooped up in out stuffy room all night. I can almost hear your jerking off underneath the sheets, and it repulses me!"

Brady blushed deep crimson. "You bastard!"

"The one and only!" Albus said, playfully punching Brady in the arm. He almost didn't notice the courtyard going silent. Looking up, Albus quickly got to his feet at the sight of James approaching. There were a few hoots and hollers from the Slytherin.

"This is Slytherin turf!"

"Get your Gryffindor ass out of here!"

"Don't talk to him like that or else he'll write to his daddy!"

James spat on the ground in front of the group. One boy almost charged, but was held back. He was accompanied by Aaron and Miles, just like the first night of the term. A-Sev was the only Slytherin to coolly approach his brother.

"This isn't your space," he hissed.

"Back off, I'm sure he's here somewhere, probably cowering in a corner," James muttered.

"Who, your imaginary friend Bobby?" Albus mocked. The Slytherins laughed.

"Scorpius Malfoy, where is he? His time is up!" James said.

Albus rolled his eyes. "What, was he going with you to Madame Puddifoot's? Uncle Ron told me you're quite fond of the pink sugar rabbits!"

More laughs from the Slytherins. A-Sev pulled out his wand and pointed it at James' chest. "Scorpius isn't here. If you want to lose a duel, then why not with me?"

"Psh! I want no one's blood but his!" James said, pushing Albus' wand aside. Albus quickly got back into position, only this time, his wand was jammed right at the base of James' throat.

"You want blood, you vampire? Then pick on someone your own type!" Albus insisted.

James rolled his eyes. "I don't have the patience right now, give me Scorpius Malfoy! HE'S the only one I'll duel!"

"Oh, shut up you old toerag!" Albus said, waving his wand. _"__Expelliarmus__!"_

The spell caused James' wand to tumble through the air. It landed about twenty feet from where Miles stood. No one made a move towards it for a full minute. Albus didn't make another move.

"Chicken shit," Albus hissed. "No wonder the Sorting Hat separated us, it was doing me a favor! I'm embarrassed to share parents with you! It makes me sick looking at you and seeing we have the same nose…" Albus raised his wand again. _"Stu—"_

"A-SEV! STOP!" hollered a sudden, shrill voice. Everyone turned to see Scorpius running towards Albus. James smirked and snickered.

"Miles, my wand?" he ordered. Miles scrambled immediately to pick up his wand and bring it back to its' owner. "Here's my man now."

Scorpius shoved Albus away from James. "A-Sev, McGonagall will expel you! This is against the law!"

"DAMN THE LAW!" Albus said. James' evil grin widened.

"Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy. Merlin, I bet he can't even spell his own name at fifteen, it's so long!" James suddenly joked. None of the Slytherin witnesses laughed, but Aaron and Miles were in hysterics.

Scorpius turned to face his opponent. He let the silence take over for a second, noting how James didn't move. Scorpius couldn't hurt him, even if he wanted to (which he didn't). Like it or not, James Potter was a part of his family now. James looked furiously at Scorpius.

"Scorpius, the time's come. We duel to the death!" James announced. The Slytherins began cheering Scorpius on. Aaron and Miles stood back from James and moved around the opposite side of the Slytherins.

Scorpius took a brave deep breath and began stepping towards James, his arm and his wand at his side. James could have easily given him death right there and then, but he was too perplexed by Scorpius' calm demeanor. Scorpius kept walking until he was five feet away from James. He then dropped his wand to the ground. The Slytherins gasped. A-Sev knitted his eyebrows and squinted in confusion.

"Scorps! Have my wand!" he said, getting ready to throw his wand. But Scorpius held up a hand, stopping him.

"James, you'll never understand why I have to love you, but nonetheless, I do. Unfortunately, we aren't on good terms, nor do I doubt we will be anytime soon. I don't believe in revenge or hate anymore. You may go tell your friends that you've beaten me in a duel, so be satisfied," he said, his voice calm and full of conviction at the same time.

"What the bloody hell are you talking about?" James whispered. "I came here to kill you, slowly and painfully, and that's what I intend to do. _Stupefy!_"

The curse threw Scorpius back about twenty feet. Gasps rang out. James grinned and hit him again as soon as he rose to his feet.

"_Levicorpus! __Liberacorpus__! Stupefy!_ I don't see you fighting back, you wuss! Too afraid you won't be able to produce so much as a spark?! _STUPEFY!"_ James taunted. Aaron and Miles cheered him on as James continued to torment Scorpius.

Albus winced and gritted his teeth. Why was Scorpius just letting himself be humiliated and beaten like this? Some Slytherin he was…

"Why don't I just finish you off now with some green sparks and end it all now?" James said, grinning as he raised his wand.

Albus let out a scream and, with wand flying high, he charged at James. With one swift, instinctive reflex, James whipped around and shot blindly at his new challenger without thinking, "_Sectumsempra_!"

The jet of lethal sparks hit A-Sev directly over the heart. Blood sputtered everywhere as he fell to the ground. That was the moment the chilling rain began falling. Most of the Slytherins, in addition to Miles, fled the scene in a sudden panic. Only Aaron and Brady remained as witnesses.

Scorpius hollered in sorrow as scrambled to the side of his fallen friend. Albus was still breathing, but every breath for his was a challenge. His was bleeding unstoppably. James stared at his wand, then at the sight of what he'd just done: he'd just killed his own brother on an impulse. He was paralyzed with shock.

"A-Sev! A-Sev!" Scorpius cried, tears coming uncontrollably to his eyes. He took his coat off and pressed it over Albus' chest in an attempt to stop the bleeding. But that was to no avail. Albus Severus grew paler with every breath.

"Get…get a Healer…" Albus tried to say.

"Everything's going to be alright, A-Sev," Scorpius said, more to assure himself than

"I…I took it for you…you didn't stop him, you didn't fight…fight back…" A-Sev breathed.

"I thought it was all for the best! I couldn't do it…A-Sev!" Scorpius said.

Albus' breathing became shallower and quicker. "To hell with BOTH your Houses! Damn Gryffindor AND Slytherin! You BOTH killed me!"

"No, A-Sev," Scorpius said, trying to elevate Albus' head, as if it would help. The rain got heavier. Albus gritted his teeth against the pain as he continued to bleed. His blood was forming a pool around him and Scorpius. James still didn't make an attempt to flee the scene.

Albus formed his lips to say one more thing. His voice was barely above a whisper, only Scorpius could hear A-Sev's final words.

_"Damn BOTH your Houses!"_

And with that, his skin when white and cold, his chest was stilled, and his head went limp in Scorpius' arms. Scorpius wailed over the body and refused to let go of his best friend. Brady bit his lip and fell to his knee. The next few seconds seemed like ages to pass.

Aaron looked at James. "James, we should get out of here—"

"NO!!!" Scorpius suddenly shouted. He took Albus' wand from his lifeless hand and cast a Shield Charm at every possible escape for Aaron and James. They were trapped.

James turned back to look at Scorpius, who shot to his feet, his eyes raging with hate, Albus' wand gripped tightly in his fist, his breaths quick, rapid, and malicious as he advanced on James.

"YOU KILLED HIM!!!" Scorpius shouted. James and Aaron both parted ways, scrambling for a way to run from the madman who was previously Scorpius Malfoy, driven insane by his best friend's murder. "HE WON'T BE THE ONLY ONE!!! HE CAN'T GET TO THE VEIL ON HIS OWN!!!" Scorpius shouted with rage. Commotion was beginning to go on inside the castle.

Then, with one second that seemed to pass in slow motion, Scorpius waved his wand and screamed at the top of his lungs: _"__Avada __Kedavra__!"_And bold, green sparks flew out of his wand, cut through the rain and dank air like lightning, and hit an unsuspecting James square in the chest. Scorpius watched as James body tumbled over itself in the sir twice before hitting the earth with a sickening THUD. The last expression James ever made was still etched in his face…wide eyes and an open jaw. He was dead.

It took a solid twenty seconds before Scorpius realized what he had done. He'd just killed his wife's beloved cousin. He'd just **KILLED **his **WIFE'S** cousin.

Uttering another scream, Scorpius sank to his knees. Brady got out his own wand and waved away the Shield Charm.

"Scorpius! We have to leave! SCORPIUS!" Brady hollered, grabbing Scorpius' elbow, heaving him to his feet, and dragging him towards the greenhouses, where he knew Scorpius' mentor, Professor Longbottom, would be of help.

"CASTORA!!" Scorpius yelled just before Brady dragged him out of sight.

* * *

Within ten minutes, nearly the entire Hogwarts staff was outside, having discovered the bodies of James and Albus Severus Potter lying ten feet from each other, lifeless. Aaron and Miles had brought them outside. Minerva McGonagall had Lily Potter, and Rose and Hugo Weasley brought to the courtyard in the rain as well.

Upon seeing James' body, Lily hollered a tragic shriek that could've waken the dead and made dementors cry. She threw herself over his body. Rose and Hugo embraced and shook uncontrollably.

"Who did this?" McGonagall asked, trying hard not to scream herself.

Aaron stepped forward. His voice stumbled every few words over shock for the loss of his friend. "James had ch…challenged Scorpius Malf..Malfoy to a duel. S…Scorpius didn't want to do anything…so Albus Severus did. James…he killed Albus with sec…sectumsempra. S…Scorpius then turned on James…and hit him with a K..Killing Curse. J..Just like that."

Lily shrieked again. Professor Creevey tried to comfort her, but she kicked him away. "HEADMISTRESS!! CALL THE AURORS!! MY BROTHERS!!! BOTH OF THEM ARE DEAD!! SCORPIUS MALFOY KILLED MY BROTHER!!! SCORPIUS MUST DIE!!!"

McGonagall looked at a loss for what to do for once in her life. "He is underaged…"

Professor Creevey interrupted. "But he used the Killing Curse nonetheless."

"But he used it on James, who did no better to his own brother," McGonagall said. Lily wailed and moaned in a style similar to Moaning Myrtle.

"MALFOY MUST DIE IN AZKABAN!" Lily cried.

McGonagall took a breath and turned to the staff. "I…I want to wait until morning to call the Aurors. They're more skilled in this than I am, as I am in no position to arrest or convict anyone. Until then, everyone, be on the lookout for Scorpius Malfoy. No matter what the Aurors do, he will be expelled and banished from the Wizarding World at the very least. As soon as ANYONE finds him, bring him to me by any means necessary!"

Rose let go of her brother and ran inside. She knew of someone up in the clock tower who still hadn't heard the news…


	10. Banishment and a Wedding Night

Scorpius sat on the floor of the greenhouse, tears hanging so heavily in his eyes they made his eyes swell and puff red. Neville was pacing the floor, not knowing what to do. Brady had been sent by Scorpius to go get A-Sev's Invisibility Cloak, which he'd taken from his father's closet and brought to school.

"Banished from this world…" Scorpius muttered. "Please be nice to me and say death, or even the Dementor's Kiss," he pleaded. "For a world without Castora is much worse."

"Stop crying, boy!" Neville groaned. "McGonagall has already shown the utmost mercy by waiting to call the Aurors until morning! You are alive, Scorpius. Please be thankful for that at the very least!"

"But I've lost my love and best friend in one day. I've killed her cousin. She has no right to love me anymore," Scorpius said, burying his face in his hands. His body was bandaged and fixed by Neville where James had injured him.

"Scorpius, don't say that so soon—"

"—but even if she did still love me, which I doubt heavily, I could never see her again!" Scorpius muttered. "I….I KILLED."

"And you've told me that you killed about three-hundred times in the past hour," Neville said, pacing even faster.

Brady stumbled into the greenhouse with the Invisibility Cloak hung over his shoulder at the same moment Rose came in, and they met each other in the doorway. Rose took a brief look at Brady, and Brady looked quickly at Rose before they both stumbled in Neville's direction.

"It's chaotic out there, Scorps," Brady warned. "Everyone's on the lookout for you. I could barely get through the waves of students searching for you and panicking that there's a killer on the loose. Everyone's been told to bring you to McGonagall's office as soon as they lay eyes on you—"

"—which is what I should do," Rose said, her voice seemingly more mature in addition to twice as bitter as it was during the wedding several hours ago. Scorpius stood up upon seeing Rose. She took a deep breath.

"What does Castora say? Did she disown me yet?" Scorpius said.

Rose shook her head. "The girl is so taken with crying over James. She almost fell off the clock tower when she heard the news," Rose said. Scorpius bit his lips and felt a fresh wave of tears come to his eyes. "I told her it was you who mercilessly slayed him."

"Did she say anything at all?" Scorpius asked.

Rose shook her head. "She only cries for James. But she gave me this ring to give to you," Rose said, holding out a ring that wasn't unlike the one Scorpius had given Castora. Only the names were reverse in the engraving: _Castora & Scorpius: I Love You. _Scorpius took the ring in his palm, and it glowed the light lavender shade, same as the Bond that married them earlier.

"All my hope is restored by this," Scorpius muttered, his heart fluttering.

"She's still waiting for you," Rose said. "Girl's a moron, but she insisted that she wait in the clock tower for you."

"I don't deserve her. I brutally did her wrong and she forgives me," Scorpius said, placing the ring on his finger. He could have sworn he felt a tingling sensation as soon as he did.

Scorpius almost cried out this time in happiness. Neville pushed his way past Brady and Rose, took the Invisibility Cloak and handed it to Scorpius.

"You need to leave here as soon as possible," Neville said. "I will owl my Gran's sister. She lives in Ireland, and she'll give you shelter. Now, go to Castora tonight and comfort her. But the Aurors will be here in the morning, so you MUST leave before then, and you'll make your escape to Ireland until I can find a way to bring Castora to you, show your love to the school, beg McGonagall's and Kingsley's pardon, and bring you back with ten times as much happiness as you left in shame and sadness!"

Brady helped Scorpius to his feet. Neville handed him the Invisibility Cloak. "Take extreme care!" Neville warned.

Scorpius nodded and threw the Cloak over himself until only his head was visible. "Thank you for everything, Professor Longbottom," he said. Neville smiled nervously and waved him off. Brady bit his lower lip as Scorpius completely concealed himself and went out the door and back into the castle, leaving Neville, Brady, and Rose standing in Greenhouse #2, in utter shock and fear.

* * *

Castora's face never felt heavier. She sat on the platform underneath the 11 in the clock tower that had been rebuilt after Scorpius had made it collapse the first time. The rain poured in sheets as she watched the bright lights from the commotion that was going on in the Slytherin-territory courtyard. Her beloved cousin's body was lying out there, both of them (though one not as beloved as the other). Rose scolded her for asking Scorpius to be brought to her. She was sure Lily wasn't taking this very well either. And could she blame her? All Castora knew now was that any hopes of living together peacefully and happily were pretty much gone unless something could be done quickly.

"Oh, Scorpius, what have you done?" she muttered to herself, her voice weak. Hot tears ran down her cheek as she leaned her forehead against the clock wall. "Did you really mean to kill him? Oh, my darling Scorpius. How can anyone love hearing your name now if I, your wife for less than a day, already disowns it? But why did you have to kill my cousin on our wedding day!" Castora wept into the wall.

She at first didn't hear Scorpius climb (much steadier) up the beams to her on the platform. When his head rose above the platform, the Invisibility Cloak slung over his shoulder, Castora turned to look at her husband. For a full minute, she just stared at him with a blank look. Scorpius bit his lip in anticipation.

But Castora smiled and got up to help him onto the platform. She took him into her arms and softly kissed his forehead. A weight in Scorpius' chest drop.

Once she let go of him, Scorpius hung on to her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling himself closer to her.

"I have to leave in the morning, before the Aurors get here," Scorpius said.

"Leave?" Castora asked, a hint of worry in her voice.

Scorpius nodded. "Professor Longbottom's great-aunt is taking me into her cottage in Ireland until we can get this sorted out."

"But how long will that be? I'm coming with you!" Castora insisted.

"No, it's too dangerous. I must go alone. Professor Longbottom will send you to me later on, and we can live in Ireland, free of Gryffindor and Slytherin forever!" Scorpius said.

"Oh, why couldn't we have been Hufflepuffs?" Castora moaned. Scorpius stopped her whine with a gentle kiss to her lips. Castora returned it.

"Shh, Castora…" Scorpius whispered. "Soon there will be no Houses, and no worries," he insisted. Castora felt herself shiver in his arms. The rain that pounded against the clock seemed to beat in time to the rhythm of her heart as Scorpius kissed her more deeply, with more passion. She'd just felt as cold as ice, and now she was warmer than July.

Castora wasn't sure whether hours, days, weeks, or just minutes passed up there in the clock tower. But she wished the morning would never come. As she and Scorpius got more comfortable, he wrapped them both under the Invisibility Cloak. Under there, time seemed to suspend itself even more. Castora felt the warm, steady breath of Scorpius on her bare neck as he slipped his hands underneath the hem of her jumper. She allowed him to take the jumper right off. She then slipped her hands under the collar of his shirt and slowly slipped his shirt off his shoulders, so he sat before her shirtless. Castora smiled. She recalled when she was younger, fawning over all the hot Quidditch Seekers of Europe whose pecs, biceps and deltoid throbbed every which way. Scorpius was nothing like that. He was pretty much flesh and bone with maybe no more than an inch of muscle in between.

"Does your father starve you?" she asked.

Scorpius shook his head. "I'm afraid my body's hereditary."

Castora pinched her waste, which certainly wasn't soft and slim like the witches she saw in the advertisements in the _Daily Prophet_. She could easily grab an inch of her skin. "So….so is mine."

Scorpius smiled. "What does it matter? That means our children will be just right!"

Castora smiled widely and allowed herself to fall into his arms again. Scorpius drowned her in kisses. He then leaned over and began undoing the belt of her trousers, and Castora could soon feel his hips begin rocking against hers as the night deepened around them. The indescribable feelings her body was beginning to experience took her breath away with every movement Scorpius made. The heat was definitely climbing underneath the Invisibility Cloak as Scorpius and Castora decided to let all the insecurities, woes, and regrets be forgotten until tomorrow morning.


	11. The Hall of the Honored

Only a small pitter-patter of the previous night's downpours lingered as the pre-dawn light began to graze the sky outside the clock tower. Within, Castora and Scorpius' tangled, naked bodies lay beside each other, concealed by the Invisibility Cloak. Castora's unruly hair was fanned out on Scorpius' chest, and Scorpius' breathing was slightly shallower than normal from having her head lying on his torso. The air was heavy, but the tranquility that last night lacked was present here. The air was significantly colder as well.

Castora was the one who stirred first. Blinking her eyes open, the first thing she established was that she was lying across Scorpius' chest. Smiling mildly, she took her index finger and drew light circles around his nipples. She looked at his face, and saw Scorpius smile as well, as if he were dreamily deeply of a bright future. But Castora managed to establish next that the day was growing ever so nearer, and the day meant danger for Scorpius. The Aurors would be arriving soon to take him away from the Wizarding world forever.

Castora sat up and lightly brushed Scorpius' lips with her. Scorpius finally stirred. "Scorpius," she cooed. Scorpius' eyes fluttered open as he looked up at his young wife. "You need to leave."

"Is it day already?" he asked, shooting up. He looked out of the clock, and indeed, the navy blue sky was turning to a light purple. But Scorpius shrugged and lied back down. "You're kicking me out already!"

"No, I want you to stay! We have a Cloak, we could live under it! Make a tent for ourselves out of it!" Castora bugged, suddenly regretting waking her husband from his slumber.

"Well, then, I'll stay!" Scorpius announced, taking Castora back into his arms. Castora giggled. "Let them take me away and execute me!" he said with an oddly happy voice. "It is what my wife wants, what my love wants," he said, his voice growing softer as he kissed her shoulder and moved his lips up to her neck. "Let the Aurors execute me, it is what Castora wants!"

Castora almost had to slap herself to bring herself back down to earth. "No, never mind!" she said quickly. "You have to go! You need to be safe for me in Ireland!"

Castora touched Scorpius' pale, bony cheek and pressed her lips to his. "As much as I'd love you to stay, we cannot do anything about it. I'd kill—"

"—bad choice of words, darling," Scorpius muttered. Castora cleared her throat and corrected herself.

"I'd do anything BUT kill for a Time-Turner so we could go back to last night and keep going back, and back, and back so we could live forever in last night!" she sighed. "Time here without you is going to take forever." Five more minutes passed in silence, the two young lovers lying naked in each other's arms, afraid to face the uncertain day.

Suddenly, Scorpius sat up again and searched for his clothes. Without a word, he dressed himself. After a moment, Castora hesitantly did the same. "Must you leave so soon?"

"Not just yet," Scorpius said. "We have somewhere else to go first. Someone we need to speak to, I think."

"Where?" asked Castora. "Professor Longbottom wants to see us?"

"No."

* * *

Underneath the Invisibility Cloak, Scorpius led Castora down the deserted corridors of the castle, down to the ground floor and into the large room directly across from the Great Hall. He opened the large door, and then closed it silently behind them. The room was pitch black, at least until the sound of the door being shut echoed through the hall. Then several torches lit the room as Scorpius and Castora unveiled themselves.

"The Hall of the Honored?" Castora asked questioningly. "Why are we here? Your family didn't fight for this side, and I'm Muggleborn—"

"All our lives, we've seen professors and adults come in here alone to ask for advice and comfort from these brave people," Scorpius said. "It's our turn today."

"The only person I'm related to here is my Great-Aunt Lily. My dad never knew her," Castora whispered as Scorpius took her hand and began guiding her down the long hallway.

"It doesn't matter. Let's find her!" Scorpius said, walking briskly down the corridor with his wife behind him. He found her portrait almost immediately. She was the only portrait with the same fiery red hair Castora had. She was in a small section of the room along with several other portraits grouped as one. Castora recognized one to the left of Lily with bright pink hair, Tonks. She'd spoken once with Tonks before, but had never noticed Lily's portrait right beside her. Maybe Lily had been moving around when she was in there before? Next to Tonks was her husband, Remus Lupin. Above Remus in the circle was his friend Sirius Black, to Sirius' lower right, completing the circle, was James Potter, her Great-Uncle by marriage. Uncle Harry looked just like him.

"They're all asleep," whispered Scorpius.

"Ugh, not anymore," moaned a voice coming from Tonks' portrait. She awoke and stretched, then squinted her eyes to see who'd woken her. "I remember seeing you before," she said, pointing to Castora.

"I'm Castora Dursley," said Castora. Tonks smiled and nodded.

"Wotcher," she said, with a friendly tone. The name awoke Sirius and Lily next.

"I'm Scorpius Malfoy," Scorpius said. The look on Tonks' face, surprisingly did not change.

"I know," said Sirius. "I was visiting the portrait that stands outside the courtyard last night. I know EXACTLY who you are…"

Scorpius bit his lips. Castora gripped his hand tighter.

"No need to worry, though," Lily said, her smooth, comforting motherly voice warming Castora's blood. "We understand everything. We won't tell."

"Then you know we're married, right?" Castora asked. Remus snorted awake after a moment.

"What…?" he muttered. "Who…oh, hello!" he said with a cheeriness that startled Scorpius.

Lily shook her head. "We didn't know that. You got married?!"

Tonks raised an eyebrow. "How was the wedding night action?" Sirius laughed, startling James awake.

"Dora, for Merlin's sake!" Remus said, scolding his wife. "You woke James!"

"I was up already," James lied, yawning loudly.

Scorpius ran his long, thin fingers through his hair. "Actually, it was just yesterday," he confessed. "Just before…what you saw happened, Sirius."

Lily gave Castora a sympathetic look. "The Aurors haven't arrested you yet?" she asked.

"They're coming for me soon!"

"Is that why you're here?" asked Remus. Scorpius shook his head.

"I'm making my escape before dawn—"

"—it's almost dawn now!" pointed out Tonks.

Scorpius nodded. "I'm running away to Ireland until Castora and Professor Longbottom can explain everything to everyone, then she'll come for me."

Castora nodded. "We just wanted to see you before Scorpius set off. We need your comfort."

Remus smiled. Castora couldn't help but notice how warm his smile seemed to be. "You both are incredibly brave young people. Trying to end these ridiculous Blood Wars. Makes our sacrifices seem in vain."

"No it doesn't!" Tonks interrupted. "We fought for people like you, Scorpius, Castora. You can do this. You can bring peace back to Hogwarts and the world."

"It seems so impossible," Castora moaned.

James shook his head. "No way. You know what impossible is?"

"What?"

"I knew your Grandmother for a very little while," James said. "Right before Lily and I married. She was such a bitter girl, and her boyfriend, that Vernon fellow, they were both two peas in a pod. They had your father around the same time we had Harry, and I knew that boy would be just like his crazy parents. Now here I am, looking at their granddaughter, and I see none of them in you. THAT'S something that seems impossible."

Castora blushed as her grip on Scorpius' hand tightened.

"I taught your father, Scorpius," declared Remus. "For one year, I taught him Defense Against the Dark Arts. Always such a narrow-minded lad. He always had to be in control, he never opened his mind. Now here you are, his son, married for love instead of blood-status, and at fifteen to boot! You look exactly like him, but I can tell just from these few minutes of conversation that you are NOT alike in the least. THAT's impossible."

Scorpius beamed at the thought of not being his father's son.

"You two are a miracle," Lily said gently. "Together, you can stop the fighting and bring back the peace that Hogwarts hasn't seen since our years at school."

"I bet Uncle Harry would be so proud of you, Castora," Sirius said. "If he knew, I know he would be."

"Yeah, if I hadn't just married and slept with the man who killed his sons," Castora muttered. James bit his lips.

"She's got a point, Padfoot," James muttered.

"And if he wasn't an Auror on the way right now to arrest me and banish me from the Wizarding world," Scorpius said.

"Banishment?" Tonks asked with concern in her voice. Scorpius nodded solemnly, and Castora wiped a tear away from her eye.

"That's why he has to hide in Ireland for a while," Castora murmured. "I don't know how I'll be able to live without seeing you…"

Scorpius turned to face Castora. He took both her hands in his. "Trust me, love. I don't doubt we'll be together soon. And all these bad days will be nothing but things to laugh about in our future," he vowed.

"You'd better make haste," Remus warned. "Go, now! The sun's beginning to rise…"

* * *

Sure enough, when Castora and Scorpius raced to the edge of the grounds of Hogwarts underneath the Cloak, the sun's beams were beginning to peek from the eastern hills. Castora could've sworn she heard the sound of distance Auror brooms humming, coming closer.

"I'll be okay. I promise I'll send you an owl as soon as I reach Professor Longbottom's aunt's house."

Castora refused to let go of Scorpius. "Oh Merlin. Something inside me keeps scaring me. I keep seeing us lying dead in the bottom of a tomb," Castora said. It was true; the image had been randomly plaguing her all night and morning. The scene got more vivid each time she'd imagined it. Scorpius: lying face-up bleeding, dead. Castora saw herself sprawled out over his chest, face down.

"I love you," Scorpius whispered, ignoring her warning and slipping quickly under the Cloak. Castora heard his footsteps run further and further away towards the Forbidden Forest. Castora sank to her knees in the cold, dewey morning and watched from a distance as the swarm of Aurors approached Hogwarts castle.


	12. Abandon All Hope

_**WARNING: **__There is some moderate/severe swearing towards the end of this chapter. _

* * *

The Aurors almost immediately put the castle on lockdown until Scorpius surfaced. Hogsmeade was thoroughly searched (to no avail), and posters were put up all over there area. Neville's greenhouses were locked, and Aurors remained on standby and guard around every corner. The Slytherin dormitories were all searched, in case someone was hiding Scorpius, and all of the Slytherins who were associated with Scorpius in any way were submitted to questioning, and many of the more common associates with Scorpius were made to take Veritaserum (Kingsley justified this, as Scorpius was technically a murderer as dangerous as any, even if under aged). Luckily, Brady cleverly managed to avoid the Verita-searches (as the Slytherins called this) by faking an intolerance to the milk the Auror had put in the (what he assumed) was the spiked tea. The Aurors got no leads. What perplexed them more than anything was how a fifteen year old wizard could produce a full-blown Killing Curse. According to the Aurors who reached the scene first, there had to be quite a powerful specimen of magic behind it in order for it to be lethal.

By Wednesday, the entire House of Slytherin was put on constant surveillance. The Gryffindors used this as not only a device to torment the Slytherins, but also as means to personally 'get back' at them for the death of James, one of their own. Because the Gryffindors had it much easier, they let loose hell on the Slytherins. Castora obviously attempted to stay out of it. She had way too much on her mind anyways.

But the Slytherins refused to take this lying down. Whenever they could, they retaliated against the Gryffindors tenfold. The Blood War had just gotten worse. No Gryffindor or Slytherin was safe.

As for Rose, Lily, and Hugo, they were treated like heroes, seeing as James' murder would have hit them hardest. They were given escorts by seventh years everywhere they went so they'd be safe (they volunteered to do the same for Castora, but she rarely left the tower for anything other than classes).

Castora let her worry for her husband consume her every last thought. She stopped doing homework assignments, and spent her time sitting by the window in her room, overlooking the Forbidden Forest, wondering day after day when that owl he promised would come. She only left the tower for class or to see Professor Longbottom, who, also, had heard nothing from Scorpius. Every day Castora could have sworn she felt her heart sink a little lower in her chest. She assumed by her one-week anniversary, it'd be past her stomach.

Rose was the only one to notice Castora's deteriorating state day after day. If she was suspicious of her in-law before, she wanted neither her nor Castora to have anything to do with him after the events of the weekend.

So, on Wednesday night, Rose arranged for a surprise to help cheer Castora up (and hopefully, teach her that there were better, more suitable men than Scorpius). She had two Gryffindor seventh-years go down to the Hufflepuff dormitories and get Duncan Finnegan to come up to Gryffindor tower to 'visit' with Castora.

Now, Duncan Finnegan was a nice enough lad. He certainly was a handsome boy, with his sandy blonde hair and deep blue eyes. His teeth were aligned perfectly and his voice was not-too-deep, but just smooth enough. Nor was he conceited about his good looks. His flaw: he was dumber than a House-Elf with a butterbeer addiction. Duncan Finnegan was a very simple boy. Despite this, half the Gryffindor girls from second-year up had it bad for Duncan. And Rose was determined to make a match for Castora with him.

Wednesday evening was clear and cold. Castora was spending some rare time in the common room, reading up on a book about the biographies of those who perished during Battle of Hogwarts twenty four years ago. She was halfway through the chapter on Colin Creevey, Professor Creevey's older brother, when Rose interrupted.

She looked up, but regretted it the moment she did, having seen Duncan right behind her. Castora rolled her eyes.

"Yes, Rosie?" she asked with as monotonous voice as she could muster.

"Duncan decided to drop by and see you; he hasn't seen you in weeks!" Rose said excitedly. Rose set her book aside and stood up. She was easily six inches taller than Rose.

"Rosie, do you REALLY think under the CIRCUMSTANCES that pushing a match on me is wise?!?" she whispered rather fiercely into her ear.

"Duncan, excuse us a moment," Rose said. Shoving Castora aside, she leaned down in her ear and whispered. "Cas, look at the facts. Scorpius is all but dead. He is going to be caught and banished. You don't NEED this stress right now. I think you'll be much happier with Duncan than you ever could be with Scorpius."

"Rose, you're mad," Castora said.

"Duncan's a wonderful boy. He's plainly smitten with you, and he's an appropriate match! Forget Scorpius. He only brings you sadness. You've been wasting away all week! Not eating, hardly sleeping! For once, be smart," Rose assured, putting her hand on Castora's shoulder.

"Are you being honest with me?" Castora said. Something about Rose's voice was off. Did she have news from Scorpius?

Rose nodded. "Yes. I only want your happiness, Cas!"

No, Castora thought. Rose would've given her news if there was any. Still, she really wanted some words of comfort, and not of this kind. She knew of only one other person who might have heard something, but wouldn't have been able to give her any news. Castora brushed past Rose and looked briefly at Duncan.

"Duncan, I'll be right down. I need to go up to my room really fast," Castora said. Rose shot her an odd look, but Castora quickly ran up the steps to the girls' dormitory. However, she didn't go into her own. Instead, she went to Lily Potter's room, several doors down from her own. She opened the door to find Lily curled up on her bed with a picture of James and Albus Severus as children. Castora bit her lip and thought. How could she pull this off without giving away anything?

"Lily? You okay?" asked Castora. Lily sprang to her feet and quickly hid the picture. Her eyes were moderately blood shot.

"Maybe. How are you feeling?"asked Lily.

"Lily, I have a mission for you. You can't have an escort, but you should be safe with the Aurors around. Can you do this for me? Please? I'll owe you sooo much!" Castora begged. Lily raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean? What kind of mission?" asked Lily.

"You have to go down to the Slytherin territory—"

"—and get myself killed just like James?!" shrieked Lily. "Who ARE you?!"

"Wait just a second, Lils!" Castora pleaded. "You'll be safe with the Aurors around," she reminded her cousin. "There's a fifth year down there by the name Brady O'Toole…"

"I know him. Why?" asked Lily, her voice deepening. Castora's, on the other hand, was heightening.

"He'll have information on Scorpius!"

"Why do YOU want to bother to know about that evil boy?" Lily asked.

"Uncle Ron said I had to do this, and you had to be the one to help," said Castora. "All will reveal itself in due course. But you MUST find out all you can about Scorpius' whereabouts from Brady O'Toole. Tell no Aurors, but come straight back to me with any information you have, alright? LILY? ALRIGHT?" Castora asked, frantically.

"What's in it for me?" Lily asked.

"Fifty galleons," Castora said, reaching into her pocket and taking out fifty large, gold coins she had made of habit of carrying around with her in case she could bribe information out of people.

Lily stared at the coins for a solid minute before scooping them up.

"What should I tell him?"

Castora thought a moment. "Tell Brady the information is for Scorpius' wife…it's a code. I'll explain when you get back."

Lily nodded got off the bed, pocketing her profit.

"Be secretive! If you run into Aurors, tell them you're delivering homework!" Castora said handing a few scrolls of old homework parchement to Lily. Lily nodded and walked cautiously towards the door.

She turned at the last second. "What should I tell Rose and Duncan?" she asked with a smirk.

Castora rolled her eyes. "Tell them my period came early this month. At the very least, that should scare Duncan off."

* * *

Lily Potter had successfully made it into Slytherin territory without being stopped by Aurors nor Slytherins. Her nerve was starting to leave her. She could barely believe her Uncle Ron had put her and Castora up to whatever secretive mission this was supposed to be.

The dungeons were cold and dark. Lily's chills got worse with every step she took. Eventually, she passed an open door with a group of Slytherin boys hanging out inside the old Potions lab. An Auror stood guard a little further down the corridor, but didn't seem to notice Lily there. Lily stopped to take a breath. She made sure her Gryffindor tie and seal weren't showing, then she stepped in the doorway.

"So I said to her, she looks so bad that—may I help you?" asked a short, black-haired Slytherin boy tossing a toy Snitch around. Lily shuffled her feet.

"I'm looking for Brady O'Toole," she said meekly.

"She's not a Slytherin, I would've recognized her if she was," said another boy. Lily spotted Brady sitting in the corner with a book in hand. Brady stood up.

Lily swallowed. "I'm here on behalf of someone else who needs news about…Scorpius."

Brady stood at attention, while the other boys' faces grew increasingly suspicious. "Who needs it?"

"His wife," Lily said. She raised an eyebrow at Brady, who nodded and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small piece of parchment. Most of the Slytherin boys laughed.

"Scorps isn't married," said the black-haired boy. "Not the type, either, unless his father set it up for him."

"That's between Brady and I," Lily said, attempting to stand her ground in front of these boys. One suddenly got a look on his face and pointed at Lily, while motioning with his other hand for the boy nearest the door to shut it, which he did. Lily jumped and turned around.

"I know you! You're James Potter's baby sister! A Gryffindor!"

"I bet she's spying for her daddy so they can catch Scorpius!"

"No!" Lily begged. "Let me out!" she yelled, panicked.

"See? She knows she's been caught, the little shit!" said the black-haired boy, grabbed her by her left elbow. Lily found his grip too much to break away from, no matter how much she struggled.

"Let her go!" Brady begged. But none of the others heard him. He was powerless.

"She's spying for her Auror daddy so they can find Scorpius!" accused a lanky boy.

"Let's make sure that she doesn't talk again! This is a secret meeting for Slytherins only! We've had enough of the Gryffindors and Aurors up or asses because of what one guy did!" announced the black-haired boy.

The rest of the boys agreed, and Lily, despite her kicking and screaming, was forced to the floor. The boy holding her began fingering her legs, his hand slowly traveling up her thigh. Lily attempted to scream, but someone had cast a Silencing Charm on her. While the black-haired boy continued to feel her up (no matter how tightly she closed her legs, he managed to get all the way up until his hand was where Lily had prayed he'd never get), the other boys rained insults down upon her.

"Gryffindor pig!"

"Spy!"

"Cut the feeling up, Ed! Screw her! Fuck her up! She's not going anywhere!"

"Fuck her, Eddie! Little tramp deserves it!"

Lily panicked. She tried kicking for her life. She could hear the laughs and insults as the black-haired boy was beginning to undo his belt—

"—LET HER GO!!!" Brady suddenly screamed. Everyone was caught off guard just long enough for Lily to escape and open the door. She pulled out her wand and pointed at the black-haired boy.

"DON'T YOU TOUCH ME OR I'LL CALL THE AURORS TO BREAK YOUR FUCKING MEETING UP!!" Lily screeched. This threat, benign as it was, seemed to subdue the Slytherins. It would have too, because they had so few freedoms anymore. Lily stepped out the door and turned to leave.

"Wait!" called Brady. "You needed news?" he asked, holding out the small piece of parchment in his hand.

Lily turned on her heels and looks maliciously at Brady. "Not anymore."

* * *

"That was a very low thing you did," Rose moaned later that evening. Castora waited in anxiety for Lily to return with news. She'd been gone several hours now. Castora had then retreated to her room to avoid Duncan Finnegan anymore. "Ditching Duncan! It's a miracle he still likes you!"

"I don't love Duncan," Castora insisted. "Besides, you were part of the Vow to keep Scorpius and me together!"

"Castora, there's something you should know about Scorpius—"

Castora turned around to hear what Rose had to say, but she was interrupted by a disheveled, heaving Lily running in the door. She gave Castora a vicious eye.

"Lily?" Rose and Castora asked at the same moment.

Lily turned to Castora and knitted her eyebrows. "He's dead."

Castora's heart stopped. No, she had to be hearing wrong. "W..what?"

Lily gritted her teeth maliciously. "His body was found floating in the river that runs along the Welsh border. Scorpius Malfoy is dead, and good fucking riddance he is!"


	13. The First Reconciliation

"Well, thank you again for the tea, Professor Longbottom," said Professor Dennis Creevey, getting up to leave after a nice long chat with Neville in his office. "Certainly is rare to get an easy moment in times such as these." The room was dimly lit only by a few floating candles. Neville was glad this meeting was ending. Something deep in the pit of his stomach told him there was a disturbance in the atmosphere…something was not right.

Neville nodded solemnly. "There must be some kind of way to help the boy's sentence. He didn't even have a trial!"

Professor Creevey nodded sadly. "But such as the times are, Neville. I'm afraid the boy must either face lifelong exile from our world, or death. Kingsley has spoken! The Aurors AND the Wizengamot have spoken! McGonagall...reluctant as she was, agreed to the sentence as well."

Neville nodded again. "Well, the hour is late—"

The door to the office was opened. Castora stood in the doorway. Her eyes were red with tear stains, but her face seemed almost neutral in appearance. Her curly red hair was disheveled and her robes were sloppily put on. She carried her wand.

"Castora!" Professor Creevey tsked. "You should be in bed at this late hour."

"I can't sleep, I keep thinking about him," said Castora. Her voice was shaky and unsteady.

Professor Creevey turned to Neville. "The poor girl, losing pretty much half her family in one week," he said sadly. "I'll leave you two alone." And with that he turned and left.

Once the door was closed behind her. Neville looked at Castora. Castora looked at Neville.

"Do you have ANY news from Scorpius?" asked Castora. "Anything? Even just a name signed on a page?"

Neville shook his head. That was when Castora lost her brave face. She felt the tears flow as she collapsed to the ground in a heap. Neville had to rush to her side and hold her in his arms so she wouldn't be lying flat on the ground.

"What is it?" asked Neville.

"Dead! He's dead!" Castora cried.

"No, you don't know that," Neville said. Castora shook free of Neville's comforting grip and heaved herself to her feet.

"Yes he is! The news came out tonight! Lily told me with her own words! Scorpius' body was found in the river on the border of Wales!"

Neville's eyes widened. "Is it official?"

Castora bit her lip and nodded. Neville felt his stomach do three flips in rapid succession. Castora gripped her wand in her hand. "My only love is dead…"

Neville had a gut feeling that Castora would try to kill herself. "Castora, give me your wand," he asked gently.

She shook her head, her body still shaking, but her tears gone, all the emotion and color was drained from her face. "I want to die, Professor."

"Castora, give me your wand, or I'll forcibly take it from you," Neville warned. His wand was in his desk. But he had to be quick if he wanted to go around the desk to retrieve it. For now, his only hope was to calm Castora down. She looked like a madwoman.

"No."

Castora swallowed and spoke again. "Professor…I want you to quickly send an owl up to Minerva McGonagall. Tell her you found my suicide note on your desk, and that I ran off and drowned myself in the Black Lake after losing my cousin."

"I will do no such thing," Neville warned. Castors wildly waved her wand at Neville, who stepped back. "Easy, Castora, I'm, unarmed!"

"I'm not going to drown myself, Professor. The castle is on lockdown. There is no way out without either an Invisibility Cloak or permission of the Aurors. I want to be with Scorpius, Professor. While everyone goes down to the lake to search for me, I'm going to sneak out a back way and head to Wales, and then…I'll…end it there."

Neville began inching his way over to the desk. Castora noticed his very slight movement and took two giant steps forward, her wand aimed at Neville's head. "DON'T MOVE ANOTHER STEP!!! WRITE THE OWL!!"

"No!" Neville said forcefully. "I will not allow you to commit suicide for the sake of Scorpius!"

Castora took another step, her body shaking violently now, as if she were about to use a Killing Curse on Neville. "DON'T TEMPT A DESPERATE WOMAN, PROFESSOR LONGBOTTOM!!!!" Castora hollered. "WRITE THE OWL!!"

"NO!" Neville stood his ground. After all, he was the authority figure in the room.

"_WRITE THE OWL, DAMNIT!_" Castora's voice grew in strength.

"CASTORA DURSLEY!! LISTEN TO YOURSELF!! YOU'RE HYSTERICAL!" Neville shouted.

_"IMPERIO!"_

The Unforgivable Curse flew out of her wand, strong and true, and took full control of Neville within a millisecond. Gritting her teeth in a madwoman's smile, Castora forced Neville to sit down at his desk, take out a piece of parchment and a quill, and write. Castora spoke the words as she made Neville write.

"Professor McGonagall, I found a suicide note from Hogwarts fifth-year Castora Dursley outside my office this evening, saying she drowned herself in the Black Lake for the sake of her cousin's death. I ran down to the lake and saw her body floating there for a moment before it was sunk with the current. Please tell Shacklebolt to order the Aurors currently on guard at Hogsmeade and Hogwarts down to the lake to help search for the body. Signed, Professor Longbottom."

Castora laughed hysterically as she forced Neville to seal an envelope, call the owl that always sat on a perch by his desk, give her the message, and send the owl off.

Castora then let go of the hold she had on Neville just long enough for him to take a breath. Then she attacked him again.

_"Stupefy!"_The force of the spell sent Neville hurdling backwards into the armoire behind his desk. Neville was knocked out cold. Castora then triple-locked the door. He was without his wand anyways, it would be days before he would be found and would be able to tell how the note came to be written.

"Sorry, Professor, but never tempt a desperate woman," Castora warned, wiping a single tear from her eye, before running out the door to await a safe time to make her breakaway.

* * *

The students of all four Houses were awoken abruptly on Thursday morning to the shocking news that there had been a third death on Hogwarts lands. The Auror guardians were called away from their posts (thus temporarily liberating the Slytherins), along with every professor and volunteer student possible, to search the Black Lake from top to bottom. An expert in Mermish was called in to ask the Merpeople if they'd seen anything (they hadn't, but were put on guard). People swallowed every ounce of gillyweed they could sneak away from Professor Longbottom's greenhouses (Professor Longbottom, however, was nowhere to be found) in order to be able to search below the water as well as above.

Again, Rose, Lily, and Hugo were called about this new loss. They stood wrapped in blankets on the shores of the lake, inconsolable, no matter who tries to talk them into a mug of cocoa or a warm hug of condolence. Lily and Hugo were taken by complete surprise over Castora's apparent suicide. Rose, however, knowing what she thought was the real reason, felt an extra pang of guilt in her heart.

After all, while it was Lily who delivered the news of Scorpius' untimely end, it had been Rose who tried to talk Castora out of loving him and into loving another, just because his House was on friendlier terms with hers.

_Maybe,_ thought Rose. _Maybe true love extends beyond the boundaries of Houses, of bloodlines. After all, my own father is pureblooded, and my mother is __Muggle__-born. _

Whatever the reason, Rose began to think seriously of revealing the affair to the Aurors and McGonagall, and explain all. Perhaps, then, the fighting would cease in honor of her memory. Rose bit her lip and decided to leave Lily and Hugo on their own for a moment. There was a young man she had to find.

Weaving in and out of the search parties, Rose could see some vaguely familiar faces. Castora's father and brother, two Muggles, hysterically crying at the feet of Minerva McGonagall. The father looked ready to explode with rage and sadness. The brother was expressing his feelings more conservatively.

"You people did this to her!! I knew magic was dangerous!! I knew it wasn't all fairy dust and sugar!!" cried Mr. Dursley. Rose could feel his pain (although she definitely wasn't as extroverted in expressing it). She moved on before she lost her nerve to do the brave thing she was about to do.

Searching the crowds some more, she narrowly avoided being seen by her mother, who was obviously looking to smother her with tears and kisses. Rose shuddered and walked quickly away.

Then, she finally met eyes with Brady O'Toole, standing by himself, looking just as guilty as she did. "Brady O'Toole, we need to speak as soon as possible." Rose grabbed him by the elbow and dragged him behind a small pine tree at the very edge of the Forbidden Forest.

"Brady, I know why she really killed herself. It wasn't the note…it had to be Scorpius," Rose said. Brady bit his bottom lip, looking confused.

"Scorpius? Why would she…?" Brady asked, his voice dwelling off.

"Don't lie to me!" Rose yelled. "You knew about their marriage too! You look just as guilty as I feel, and you know she died because of Scorpius' death!"

Brady took a deep breath. He almost turned blue. "R…Rose. What are you talking about, Scorpius is dead? Scorpius wrote to me just last night. He's perfectly fine at Professor Longbottom's aunt's house."

Rose gasped as Brady handed her the small parchment, signed in green ink "Scorpius H. Malfoy."

_Dear friend Brady,_

_I hope the __Aurors__ don't intercept this owl. I just wanted to let you know that I made it to Ireland alive, and am now in the good care of Augusta __Longbottom's__ sister, July. I cannot write to Castora yet. If the __Aurors__ do intercept this, it could mean more danger for her if her __name's__ on it. If this does make it to you safely, please tell Castora that I am healthy as ever and cannot wait for our reunion!_

_Scorpius H. Malfoy_

"I couldn't deliver the message right away because of the lockdown the Slytherins were put under," Brady explained.

Rose began feeling her insides shake. "That's impossible…Lily told us herself that Scorpius had drowned in the river that borders Wales…"

"Lily Potter? The girl who—" Brady looked back to last night and how Lily had come asking for information for Castora, and how she'd been harassed and left all angry and flustered.

"Rose, Lily lied to you."

"What?!"

"Out of spite. Last night, Castora sent her to me for information, but before I could give it to her, my friends worked out that she was a Gryffindor and thought her a spy. They nearly raped her, but I told them to back off. Afraid and angry, she stormed out before I could give her the parchment Scorpius sent me."

Rose felt a tear leave her eye. "So Castora killed herself for nothing?" she asked, her voice shaking. Brady took her into his grip. Rose, surprisingly, didn't struggle. She needed any comfort she could get right now, learning the tragic fate of her cousin

"I sent an owl back to Scorpius this morning bearing the sad news."

Rose gently let herself out of Brady's embrace. "We need to tell McGonagall, right now."

Brady nodded and held out his hand. Rose hesitated.

"We're both wearing our House colors," she warned. "If anyone saw us—"

"—from this moment on, there will be no Houses. Castora would've wanted it that way." Rose, after a cautious moment, agreed and took Brady's hand. They ran back to the Lake and found McGonagall quickly.

"Miss Weasley…Mr. O'Toole?" McGonagall looked incredibly perplexed by a Slytherin and a Gryffindor side by side without any dueling involved.

"We have some…information you really need to hear," Brady said. McGonagall raised a single eyebrow.

"Information? How much?"

"Loads," said Brady, nodding at Rose.

"Well, what information do you two have?" she asked, pursing her lips with interest.

Rose sighed, wiping a second tear from her eye. "First off, Scorpius Malfoy and Castora Dursley were married last Saturday…"


	14. Fatal Revelations

For early November, it was a warm, sunny day in Ireland. Scorpius decided to spend the glorious morning lying on a blanket under the sun, daydreaming the long borings hours that were going to plague him until news from Brady or Neville came. Scorpius wondered if not writing Castora was a good idea after all. But in the end, he decided it was, after all, a parchment from him to her would associate her with him, and isolate her from her friends and family. Not to mention, the owl he sent to Brady told him to tell her he was alright.

As much as he missed his wife, daydreaming about their future together made the time seem to pass a little faster than when he first arrived at July Longbottom's cottage late Tuesday night. He loved searching for the vivid images in the back of his mind: Castora's face when she announced she was pregnant for the first time (of course, Scorpius didn't want to see this face for a few years yet), his father Draco's face when Scorpius told him the news, then after he was disowned (which he no doubt would be) he would send his father an owl anyway saying "It's a girl!" or "it's a boy!" or "Twins!" again, the look on Draco's face being priceless.

Then, of course, there were names. Draco would be furious even more when Scorpius named his son Joseph, or his daughter Anne, instead of Jupiter or Merope, respectively. Both he and Castora had their share of odd names. Scorpius would much rather have a John than a Regulus.

"Scorpius? Has the post come yet?" asked July's elderly but shrill voice from the cottage. Scorpius sat up for only a moment to reply.

"Not yet," he confirmed.

"I see. Would you like some pumpkin broth? Freshly brewed," July offered.

"I'll come in for some later," Scorpius said.

July nodded. "Oh, and don't spend all day out there, you'll get ill!"

Scorpius sighed and nodded. July frowned disapprovingly and went back inside the cottage. Scorpius lay back down on the blanket and inhaled the fresh air. July lived by herself in an old cottage in the middle of nowhere, somewhere in County Cork. It was quite a tranquil place. Quiet, no other people around for miles. Because technically, Scorpius was in hiding, July was made a Secret Keeper as to the whereabouts of the cottage were. She called it Heathered Cottage. This was because during the height of summer, the entire land is covered with bright purple heather, she explained on Scorpius' first night.

Suddenly, Scorpius heard a familiar squawk on the horizon. He shot to his feet to see Brady's owl come flying towards him. Scorpius felt his heart beat a little faster.

"News from Hogwarts!" he said excitedly as the brown-and-white barn owl swooped in low, dropping the envelope onto the grass in front of Scorpius. He picked up the parchment and ripped it open.

_Scorpius,_

_Times have been terrible here for us Slytherins since you left. As a cruel joke, some Gryffindors hinted that we may be hiding you in our dormitories, and as a result, we are guarded by __Aurors__ twenty-four hours a __day,__ and we never get any privacy. Many Slytherins are out trying to hunt down the alleged Room of Requirement for a sanctuary, but so far no one had found it. Some of the Slytherin boys are also trying to organize secret underground societies. It was hard enough trying to release this owl somewhere where __Aurors__ wouldn't track down and intercept this. _

_As for your poor wife…__I can barely put this into words. But__ it must be said nonetheless.__ Castora has killed herself. __She threw herself into the Black Lake last night. No one knows exactly why yet, but it is rumored that the suicide notice said it was because of James' death. Her body has yet to be found, but Professor __Longbottom__ wrote to McGonagall after finding the note, and while no one can seem to find him, he write that he saw her body briefly floating in the lake before sinking. _

_I am truly sorry about __this,__ it took the entire castle by complete surprise. _

_Your Ever Loyal Friend, Brady_

Scorpius blinked. He must've had something in his eye. Her couldn't have read that letter right. He read it over again. Heh, that was funny. Brady's handwriting must've been really bad, as it sad Castora had thrown herself in the Black Lake and drowned…

"Miss Longbottom!" Scorpius called, his heart beating faster every second. July peeked out the window.

"Scorpius, you'll wake the dead!" she scolded. Scorpius held out the letter.

"I think I'm reading this wrong…please say I'm reading it wrong!" Scorpius begged. July shrugged and took up the letter. After a minute, she tsked.

"So sad, just like what it said in the Prophet this morning…" she muttered. Scorpius almost choked on his own spit as he tried to swallow. There was a lump in his throat the size of Ravenclaw's diadem.

"W…what article?" he managed to squeak out.

July went and got him a copy of the Daily Prophet. The front page bore Castora's picture, smiling and happy, along with the headline "**Cousin of Recently-Slain Hogwarts Students Takes Her Life ****Out**** of Grief**."

"Was this written by that lying Skeeter woman?" asked Scorpius. July searched the paper, and shook her head.

"I take it this was the one you killed and ran away for," July said, coldly. "I'm sorry, but this writer is as true and reliable as anyone."

Scorpius began shaking violently. "Boy, are you alright?' July asked. "Come on inside…"

Scorpius let out a heartbroken, terrifying scream. "DAMNIT, BRADY!! WHY DID YOU LIE TO ME?!?!" he yelled into the sky. "CASTORA!!!!"

"You'll be heard! You want the Aurors to find you?!" July warned sternly. "Get in the house this instant!"

"No!" Scorpius yelled, throwing the paper rudely back at July. Scorpius ran further away from the house, tripped over a bush and fell to the dirt. He looked down at the ground for a solid moment, then looked up at the bright, clear sky. He touched his pocket, where his wand was tucked safely away.

He couldn't believe it. His love, his wife. His Castora, was dead. Killed by her own hand.

Her body floated in the Black Lake. Scorpius knew there was only one thing left to do. If her body was at the bottom of the lake, he wanted his to be right beside her for eternity.

Scorpius looked briefly back at the cottage. July was no longer in the window. "Castora, my love," he whispered slowly to the sky. "I will lie with you, then, if you cannot come to me."

* * *

If one looked on the land around the Black Lake on Friday morning, they would think they'd come to the wrong place. They would see a mix of mourners, wearing green/silver, or red/gold, sitting with each other in perfect harmony, comforting each other, for both sides had suffered much loss.

When Rose and Brady came clean with all they knew to McGonagall, she sent an emergency owl to Kingsley Shacklebolt to come to Hogwarts. The entire student was gathered, and Kingsley spoke loud and clear. His speech still rang in everyone's ears twelve hours later.

"Three dead. That's three people too many. Dead because of petty prejudices between Slytherin and Gryffindor, purebloods and Muggle-borns. Why did it have to take human sacrifice to get you children to see that? Twenty-four years ago, the adults of our world were your gave, and they willingly sacrificed themselves for love. LOVE! And you sacrificed your own for hate. To continue a bitter and SENSELESS rivalry! Then, miraculously, a Gryffindor and a Slytherin, managed to look beyond their House and blood status and see only the love they had for each other. And now one of them is dead, and I am sure the other will not be happy when we bring him back and tell him the news. How many more deaths will it have to take? How many more fights will you have to endure? Now that all is being uncovered, Scorpius Malfoy will be acquitted, seeing as the circumstances seem fitting. I just hope whatever god or goddess is looking down on you right doesn't decide to bring you more grief than the grief you've brought upon yourselves."

Tensions were still high between the mistrusting Houses of Gryffindor and Slytherin, but nothing could be done overnight. Everyone knew that while it would take time, giving peace a chance may be worth the effort in the end. So now, while the search parties for Castora's body became less and less encouraging, the students talked, cried, and comforted one another, like one big family.

This morning was the first cloudless, sunny morning the school had seen in nearly two weeks. McGonagall and Kingsley walked side by side through the crowds, both dressed in appropriate black robes.

"Headmistess!" called a voice suddenly from the edge of the crowd. Professor Longbottom, looking extremely tired and disheveled, was running at McGonagall with fear and panic in his eyes.

"Professor Longbottom? Where have you been?" asked McGonagall.

"She's not dead!" Neville yelled. Many sulking heads perked up, Rose and Brady's among them. "Castora's alive!"

"What do you mean?" asked Kingsley.

"Castora came to my office a few nights ago hysterical. She'd heard Scorpius had died, and she wanted to find the river where they found his body and throw herself in. But because of the guards, she wanted me to write a suicide note for her, creating a diversion so she could get away! I refused, so she put me under the _Imperius__ Curse_ and forced me to write it and send it off to you! Then she locked me in the armoire!"

Gasps and whispered rang out from the crowd. Rose and Brady exchanged worried looks.

"Scorpius isn't dead, Professor," Kingsley said. "I've acquitted him and sent the word out so that he may come back."

"Professor! I sent word to Scorpius yesterday that Castora was dead! He would've gotten it by now—"

McGonagall looked at Kingsley, horrified. "Oh Merlin…" she whispered. "They're both headed for the river that borders Wales….to kill themselves…they know nothing about each other."


	15. Almost There

_**A/N:** Another story finished! Thanks to all those who stuck with me until the very end. Enjoy, and if i may be so bold, my other WIP chapter fic: **"To See a Thestral"** is severely lacking in hits and reviews, so if you like my writing, please go read/review there as well! Thanks again, and see ya next fic!_

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Running as if, oddly enough, for his life, Scorpius knew it would take days before he'd reach Hogwarts. Not to mention when he arrived, there's be thirty Aurors waiting to pounce on him. But they all wanted him dead, and that was the entire reason he was going back. To be with Castora again. If he could not be with her in life, then maybe he could be with her in death. 

He was almost at the border of Wales, where the wide but shallow, fast-moving river separated Wales from England. The light was growing dimmer as twilight set across the land, but Scorpius ran. Darkness wouldn't stop him from accomplishing his final mission in life. Had the grief of what he'd done to her cousin driven her to madness? If so, that would make him responsible for his own wife's death. He was never worthy of being her husband. He wasn't worthy of living anymore.

His breath was short, shallow, and panting as he finally caught sight of the river. Once down the bank, across the river, he would be back at Hogwarts by Saturday evening. He just needed to stay out of the sight of Aurors.

The river bank was steep, and he had to inch his way down the side. But he lost his footing after hearing a loud 'bang' and tumbled all the way down the bank and fell right at the river shore. Looking up into the sky above his head, he could see red sparks light up the plain. Aurors. They'd sensed he was here and were coming for him. They couldn't have been more than ten minutes away from where he was.

"Shit," Scorpius muttered. Then he screamed. "SHIT!" Was the entire world against him now, as punishment for upsetting the balance of society by falling in love? Was he not even allowed to die beside Castora in a final act of love? Shaking, Scorpius was blinded by the tears in his eyes. He could barely see shapes, and everything was getting hazier as the sky grew darker purple.

Scorpius looked at his feet, being licked by the very edge of the water. He looked across the river. He saw the form of someone standing above the bank, but couldn't make out anything else about the person.

'Well," Scorpius muttered to himself. "If I cannot make it home, then I'll be brief," he said. He took out his wand, and got to his knees, pressing the wand against his stomach. Should he use the allegedly painless Killing Curse? No, he decided in a split second. He deserved to suffer his last few minutes of life. Then maybe, for the first time in his life by someone other than Castora Dursley-Malfoy, he would be taken seriously for his own thoughts. No one had ever cared to know his opinion before her. His father acted like he knew what was best for his son, his friends always managed to talk him into or out of things with a few well-chosen words. Well, this was it. His first, and final, opinion that was completely his own.

Scorpius looked up through his tears one last time. The figure on the other bank seemed to be rushing towards him now.

"SCORPIUS!!"

_"__Sectumsempra__!"_

* * *

Castora could hear the loud explosion and red sparks of an Auror's signal to another in the distance. The red light illuminated the entire valley in red, as it was getting dark out. Castora had made it, at least. She was at the Welsh river. After a full day and night, she was finally here. Castora took out her wand and began walking towards the bank that led down to the narrow shore lining the river. Well, if the Aurors were closing in on her (and Professor Longbottom had surely told them about her using the Imperius Curse on him by now) she would have to make quick work of it.

"Shit….SHIT!" cried a sudden…and all too familiar voice. Castora couldn't have been hearing properly. The voice…if she didn't know better, that was Scorpius' own voice! She ran up to the edge of the river bank and stood, looking down the steep edge at a young blonde boy, on his knees, shaking uncontrollably.

"No," she whispered. "Impossible…it's can't be," she said, just standing and staring at her husband. How could he possibly be alive? Castora, in shock, just stood on the river bank for a few seconds. Scorpius looked to be in terrible emotional pain. Had he…had he heard about her faking her death? Or did he just hear that she'd drowned? Castora finally registered that he was planning to come back to Hogwarts to throw himself in the Black Lake after her. Knowing this wasn't good, Castora began quickly running down the bank in an effort to make it quickly to Scorpius as he stood tall on his knees and pressed his wand to his chest.

He was going to do it right here. Castora couldn't find her voice as she desperately tried to run faster. She finally found the effort to half-scream, half-breathe out a warning.

"SCORPIUS!"

_"__Sectumsempra__!"_

Castora fell into the river just as she heard Scorpius holler the curse. Without bothering to think rationally until she got to the other side, Castora ran, waste-deep, through the water, struggling to get to the other side. The water was freezing, and her lower body numbed after a moment.

Finally, Castora rolled herself out of the river, to find Scorpius lying on his back, blood gushing from his body and flowing in a skinny little stream into the bigger river. He was breathing shallowly and quickly, as if suddenly regretting his decision. Castora, her lower body still numb, crawled with her arms to his side, and scooped him into her grip.

"C….Castora?" Scorpius whispered. "Am I in heaven already?"

Castora shook her head. "No. You're still alive, and so am I. Please stay with me. You'll be okay," she promised, taking off her outer coat and pressing it over his terrible wound.

"Won't do any good…." Scorpius said. "But…you're dead."

Castora took Scorpius' ice-cold hand in hers and shook her head, tears coming to her eyes. "That was just a story I made up so I could escape and come to you. Now I'm wanted for using the Imperius Curse on Professor Longbottom so he'd help me."

Scorpius shook harder. Castora looked at the sky. More red sparks. The Aurors were coming closer.

"Castora….I love you," Scorpius muttered. "And I'm sorry…"

"Shut up," Castora hissed. "Don't give up. You need to try and stay with me…please?"

"But what about the Aurors? We're both criminals," Scorpius said, every word becoming more painful to say.

"We'll find a way to run away, start our own life. Maybe my father will let us live with him in the Muggle world. But…if we have to, we'll share a cell in Azkaban. Because it'll make a life sentence worthwhile if you're there with me."

Scorpius smiled. "Castora, I don't deserve to keep you."

Castora shook her head. "Don't tell yourself that. It's both of us. Neither of us belonged in our worlds. Not when we have our own waiting for us…somewhere…"

Scorpius used his last bit of strength to lift his cold, delicate hand and touch Castora's cheek. Castora put her still warm hand over his hand. "You're so cold!" she exclaimed.

"And you're so warm…" he muttered in response.

Scorpius took one last deep breath, the smile still on his face. Suddenly, she stopped shaking. He became colder. His breathing stopped, and his eyes closed. His hand dropped from Castora's cheek and landed at his side. Scorpius Malfoy, the last heir to the House of Black and the House of Malfoy, was dead.

Yet, Castora didn't cry. Her eyes were dry from all the crying she'd done over the past five days. She ran her hand along her dear husband's eyebrow, studying how handsome he looked, how peaceful he seemed, in death. Although she didn't visibly cry, Castora was no longer sane. One couldn't see it, but her heart was now hard. She was a madwoman cuddling her dead spouse in her arms.

"Shh, Scorpius, good idea," Castora muttered with a heightened voice, looking into the sky. Along the horizon, she could she Auror broom flying towards her. "You go on ahead. I'll be right there." Her eyes were wide, her pupils dilated.

She leaned down and gave Scorpius one last kiss, a long kiss, passionate as any other she had shared with him. Her lips remained locked on his for a full minute. The hums of the Auror brooms became audible as they moved in closer. She had only seconds left at the most.

"Scorpius, we're almost there," she muttered, standing up on her knees and taking his wand from his hand. Castora smiled. She was almost there. At last. Castora put Scorpius' wand in her ear.

_"__Avada __Kedavra__!"_

* * *

As the Blood War generation grew to adulthood, no story was more widely told as an example then the story of the Slytherin and the Gryffindor who'd died for each other, their bodies found slumped over each other's. How if they'd waited just five minutes longer, they'd have been a happy-loving couple celebrating their fifteenth anniversary this year. Some of the Aurors said to this very day that they found both bodies smiling, but that was just a rumor.

Draco Malfoy, both heartbroken and ashamed, left England soon after his son's death. The last anyone had seen of him, he was boarding a ferry that would take him across the English channel to France.

Dudley Dursley, being a Muggle, mourned with his family as all Muggles did.

Professor Longbottom was asked to testify several times in front of the Wizengamot as a witness to crimes commited that led to the deaths and the continuing of the Blood Wars. However, the memories proved much too painful for him to relive, and he eventually just went back to his first love: teaching Herbology, begging the courts and media to leave him alone. He named his first and only child with his wife, a daughter, Castora Scorpia.

Minerva McGonagall retired from her post as Headmistress at the end of the school year following the deaths, and she died two years later of natural causes and old age, but not before declaring that the four Houses of Hogwarts be permanently disbanded, forming one united Hogwarts, just with four separate dormitories.

Kingsley Shacklebolt, determined to use the tragedies as an example to prevent future Blood Wars, insisted that portraits of Castora and Scorpius hung in the Hall of the Honored, beside the cluster of portraits labeled "The Marauders." No matter what he did, however, the guilt of having been blind for so long followed him for the rest of his life.

Duncan Finnegan went on to become a news reporter for the Ministry of Magic and married Lucy Weasley, daughter of Rose's uncle Percy Weasley. He has no children to date.

Lily Luna Potter never forgave herself for spitefully dispensing the information that led Castora to kill herself, but she did move on with her life, going on to marry a Muggle and having two sons, Albus Severus II and James III, the former being magical and the latter being a Muggle.

Rose Weasley's guilt, however, took over her life for quite few years, knowing that she'd played a major role in both her friend's deaths and the preventability of them. After graduating Hogwarts, she moved into her own apartment in the Muggle world.

Brady O'Toole insisted on moving in right across the hall from her, to protect her and to make sure she didn't worry herself into illness. After four years, they moved in together. After four more years, they married. The wedding made headlines all over the Wizarding world. Professor Longbottom insisted he perform the ceremony himself. Rose and Brady are just now expecting their first child, seven years after their marriage.

In the Wizarding History books, every single edition of every single book, the chapter that covers the Blood Wars opens with this line…

_"Never was a story of more woe…"_


End file.
